Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a happy new year! The above photo was taken about eight years ago but it is too timely not to share!

Ring Out, Wild Bells

by Alfred Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

My Poem, My Song

I have a wonderful friend (see her blog-17 Diamonds- on the sidebar) who is a singer/songwriter. Lisette is one of the most beautiful women I know, and I don't mean just the outside. She has an inner beauty, love and joy that is precious to behold.

Well, a while ago she suggested I write the lyrics for a song, and she would do her best to put my words and heart to music. One day I sat alone in my bedroom and wrote a poem. I then presented this poem to Lisette, who did a beautiful job using much of my lyrics, and creating a song to reveal my heart. So I see this as "my song".

I love wind...and I mean a lot. I love gentle breezes but also powerful winds! I often sit outside at night and talk to God. I love when soft breezes caress my face and hair. I truly feel at that moment almost as if God is gently touching me.

Touch is my greatest "love language". I long to be touched, and hugged, and caressed in a way that I cannot even explain. One of my greatest ideas of a perfect night with my husband would be to take a walk outside in the evening and sit on a bench just touching and talking, then to watch a movie together at home cuddling close on the sofa, then add in some slow dancing and then...well, I'm sure you all can guess the last touching experience:) But you see? The whole night would be filled with time together and touching one another.

I have been on my knees so many times asking God if He would literally touch me...that I could feel his physical touch. I know without a doubt He could fulfill that wish of mine, but as of yet it has not been His will to. Yet, when I feel the wind tenderly caressing me, it is almost as if God is sweeping his hand across my face the way a parent may touch his child, or even the way a husband may touch his wife.

Powerful winds get me excited. Very windy days often make me feel like running and spinning and leaping. Or like stopping and just breathing it all in. Such strong winds make me think of God's power. And his beauty. I just love to see the wind blow through trees, blow the clouds across the sky; and I love to hear the wind. One of the greatest pleasures for me is windy nights when I can sleep with my window open and hear the wind's lullaby.

One of my greatest desires is to fly. I love the scripture that speaks of God "riding upon the wings of the wind". Boy I'd love to do that!

Here is the poem that I wrote, and below it is a video montage I put together of the song Lisette wrote and sung for me. Thank you again so much Lisette:)

You're the Wind

God, come and softly caress
When deep tears fill my eyes;
Touch me with tenderness
When the tears flow and I cry.
I sense your touch as a warm breeze, blowing through my dark night
And it brings me such a sweet release, to feel you by my side.

CHORUS:
I'm standing under an open sky
With Heavens' windows open wide
As flowers bow and trees dance
I am part of this romance
Your strong arms are lifting me higher
O God, this is my desire,
To lean as a bird leans on the wind
Knowing that your love gives me wings
And you are the wind.

When my heart is filled with pain
And my deepest soul in despair,
Come and break off these chains
Come and whisper your care.
It is to my God whom I cling, with my desperate prayer
Yes my Father and my King, whose love is everywhere.

Just as the wind

I can not see Him but oh how I feel Him, and hear Him, and see what He does.
I am free to breathe the air blowing from your winds up above.

CHORUS (above)

So I will rise and I will dance
For you've provided the key.
The wind carries your fragrance
And the depths of your beauty.
I am precious in your sight, and am called to royalty
I believe that you delight, as I fly to my destiny.

CHORUS

Oh God, you blew and I was wooed,
I broke forth from my cacoon,
Your love gave me wings and I flew.

Now let me shine the Divine
Let me sing beautiful things
As I fly...
Because you are the wind.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Little Pilgrims Progress

(Johannah Bluedorn's art: http://www.triviumpursuit.com/xcart/home.php?cat=252)

I have been reading this wonderful gem to my children- a 6yo and 4yo- for a couple of weeks now. They love it so much! The four year old is even taking to this book more than the classic Winnie the Pooh! After one reading last week, my daughter began drawing a map of Christian's journey and my son was building the city with his blocks. I did not even suggest they do those things but the story is having such an impact on them!

The Reading Mother

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings —
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be —
I had a Mother who read to me.

- Strickland Gillilan

When Mother reads aloud, the past
Seems real as every day;
I hear the tramp of armies vast,
I see the spears and lances cast,
I join the thrilling fray;
Brave knights and ladies fair and proud
I meet when Mother reads aloud.

When Mother reads aloud, far lands
Seem very near and true;
I cross the deserts' gleaming sands,
Or hunt the jungle's prowling bands,
Or sail the ocean blue.
Far heights, whose peaks the cold mists shroud,
I scale, when Mother reads aloud.

When Mother reads aloud, I long
For noble deeds to do...
To help the right, redress the wrong;
It seems so easy to be strong,
So simple to be true.
Oh, thick and fast the visions crowd
My eyes, when Mother reads aloud.

I love these poems. That is my greatest desire in reading to my children and in the books they will encounter: that they would "long for noble deeds to do, to help the right, redress the wrong"; that "wholesome life to the boy (or girl) heart brings"; that the stories would be ones that "stir with an upward touch."

I highly recommend the above book and I highly recommend all parents to read to their children!

Christmas Spirit

My beautiful friend Amy sent me the above award. Amy is one of the most special women I know. She is filled with so much love and joy...she is extremely devoted to her husband and children. Amy is full of passion, which I love so much!! Passion for God, for her family, for life! I am so blessed to have "found" Amy and I truly hope we meet one day! Here is her blog: Joy Of My Heart

So my part is to list five things I love about Christmas and then give the award to some of my blog friends, who can then pass it to their friends.

1) I love family. One of my favorite things about this time has always been getting together with loved ones. What an awesome reason to gather together- to celebrate the birthday of our King!

2) Like Amy, I say Christmas mail! I am THRILLED to receive cards, letters and photos in the mail and I save them all:)

3) The scents of the season- pine, cinnamon, etc. We always buy a real tree for the pine scent!

4) The joy in my children as they await their gifts, sing songs, perform a play at church, and mostly hear the Bible stories of the birth of Jesus.

5) Decorating! I was not able to do much this year but I love the lights, candles, pine cones, nativity and all sorts of Christmas decorating in the home!!!

Now for those special people I will pass this along to: (I have not had this blog long so I'll only choose a few)

Debi at Pursued By Love

Heather at Heart Of A Mommy

Lauren at All Things 4 Baby and Mom

Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours

This past year has been a year of growth for all of us. We have grown spiritually in our walk with God; our marriage has grown in depth of intimacy and love; and of course the children just keep amazing us with the growth of their beautiful young minds and bodies!

Here in Florida, snow would be nearly a miracle, so we rang in 2008 throwing marshmallows at each other instead! We spent the cooler months enjoying the blissful weather outside. Our area is home to numerous beautiful parks with trees, water, trails and playgrounds. Summer is beach season here, so I, Esther, really enjoy when that is over and park season arrives. Needless to say, I am not a beach gal, unless it is in the breezy, moonlit summer evenings.

On March 7th, we celebrated Abigail and Hannah’s first birthday. At that time, they were not yet walking but now are nearly running! Interestingly, Abigail was the twin to lead in all firsts: sitting, crawling, etc. Well I guess Hannah had enough of that, and she surprised us when she was the first to walk! Now the girls LOVE moving those feet anywhere they can. They love to carry baby dolls and to push each other in the wagon. They adore running around outside and have even begun climbing stairs a little at the playground, and going down the slide gleefully!

We are able to tell the twins apart easily, but it is a bit difficult to explain to others how we do it. They just have differences in their facial expressions that all of us notice- even Sarah and Peter can tell them apart! Sometimes better than dada and mama! In their personalities, they are not yet all that different. Although Abigail is a bit more affectionate, loving to be held and cuddled. She is also a little more timid than Hannah. Her first time going down a slide, she began crying from fear, whereas Hannah just nonchalantly crossed that bar!

Hannah and Abigail are miracle babies and they truly melt my heart. I love to hold them and hug them. I cannot believe that they will be turning two in March...they are looking more like toddlers every day with the growing hair and moving feet. I am eager to hear them begin talking to mama, as both Sarah and Peter did not say much until two months after their second birthdays.

On June 11th, Peter turned four. Peter is truly the most wonderful son a mother could ask for. When he was a baby, God spoke to me that Peter would take good care of me. He has proven this already. This little boy has a sensitive, caring personality. At the same time, though, he is quite masculine in his love of playing with cars, making loud fighting noises, and just being wild as most boys are. He enjoys pretending he is a cop or someone else that is “fighting the bad guys”. Yes, with his caring heart and sense of justice I am awed when I imagine how God will use him one day to fight for the helpless and needy. Of all my children, Peter seems to enjoy browsing our bookshelves the most. He also adores his sister, follows her lead often and is often eager to please her. Sarah has no problem with that:) Even though Peter is almost two years younger than Sarah, he wears the same shoe size as her and weighs more than her. He has made great strides this year, becoming more independent with his potty training, getting himself dressed and learning things such as his shapes and colors.

In July, I turned 29. I cannot believe this is my last year in my twenties. It has been an awesome year for me, a year filled with so much growth in all areas. I have been on a path to becoming healthier through exercise and am only about ten pounds away from reaching my goal weight. Throughout the year, I have been re-discovering so much about myself and my interests. It has been a journey that continues and I am soaking in every minute of it.

Sarah celebrated her sixth birthday on August 6th. Sarah is a precious and delightful little girl. She has changed this past year; she is growing up and becoming more of a little lady. Her interest in cars is diminishing and being replaced by dress up clothing and other feminine things. Sarah loves to look beautiful. She loves to dance and to sing. But more than anything, she loves art. She loves to create beauty through art. Every day will find her coloring, cutting and pasting and just making lovely things. At the same time, Sarah is very energetic. She LOVES all the Florida wildlife and simply delights in the critter hunts outside with daddy. She loves to capture her live treasures, show them to me, photograph them and learn more about them through our nature guides. This is what we do for science in first grade homeschool. Sarah knows about more animals than I do! She loves for me to read to her...her favorite stories are the true ones from the Bible. I read while the children color, I read while they eat and after “quiet time” we have “tea time” in which I read poetry and a chapter from a piece of children’s literature while they have hot cocoa and a snack. Sarah is learning how to read and doing wonderfully. We have been formally homeschooling for three months now. It has been an adventure that will just get better!

On September 22nd, Roderick and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. This past year has been one of the best years in our marriage. We are closer than ever and there are truly not many things I would rather do than just “hang out” with my man. I love our times together. Rod turned 31 on December 3rd. He is growing his hair and looks more handsome than ever! He is working hard for our family, spending his free time with us, running and writing articles about the amazing things God is putting on his heart.

We pray that all who read this letter would feel the amazing love and power of our God this Christmas season. We are not only celebrating the birthday of our Savior. No, we are celebrating his life; a life like no other; a life that saves us. We are celebrating the fact that God loves us so much that He came to us. He came to us. Emmanuel means “God is with us”. God came down to those He created and showed us what He is like in such a human way. A God who loves, forgives, heals and holds.

When you look at that star on your tree, remember the star which led the wise men directly to the Son of God as he lay helpless in the body of an infant. Wise men and wise women still seek God. What are we without Him? If it is an angel on your tree, let that remind you of the angels who appeared to the shepherds and proclaimed “good tidings of great joy, peace on earth and goodwill toward men”. As you gaze at the lights on your house and tree, remember that Jesus is the true light in this dark world. Let the candy canes you see everywhere also remind you of those amazed shepherds guarding their sheep with their staff, and about to seek after and find the Lamb of God. As you give gifts to those you love, think upon the gifts that were offered to God’s Son by the wise men, as He lay in the manger. Thank God for the greatest gift- the one He gave to us- His only beloved Son. Through Him we can be reconciled to a relationship with our Maker.

Strength and Beauty

My husband's mother sent us an online gift card for Wal-Mart. We really did not buy much for the children for Christmas, so this was a nice opportunity to purchase a couple more things for them. As I was browsing the online toys- first the ones in the girl category and then the ones in the boy category- I noticed something interesting: the "dolls". Actually, for boys they are not even called dolls, they are called "Action Figures". And that is part of what I noticed. All the "action figures" for boys were just that, dolls meant to be played with actively. They included guns or swords and were basically made for fighting. The dolls for girls were nothing of the sort! No, these dolls were primarily about fashion and beauty...clothes to change, long hair to brush, etc. Here is the doll I chose for Sarah and the "action figure" I chose for Peter:





Seeing this reminded me of the following comparison taken from the book Captivating:

"Stasi and I just spent a weekend together in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which boasts the third largest gathering of art galleries in the world...Toward the afternoon of our second day, Stasi asked me, "Have you seen one painting of a naked man?" The point was startling. After days of looking at maybe a thousand pieces of art, we had not seen one painting devoted to the beauty of the naked masculine form...However, the beauty of Woman was celebrated everywhere, hundreds of times over in paintings and sculptures. There is a reason for this.



For one thing, men look ridiculous lying on a bed buck naked, half-covered with a sheet. It doesn't fit the essence of masculinity. Something in you wants to say, "Get up already and get a job...Get to work." For Adam is captured best in motion, doing something. His essence is strength in action...On the other hand...Eve just does not look right...chopping a tree down...Eve speaks something differently to the world than Adam does. Through her beauty."


Women bear the image of God, as do men, but they bear His image as a woman. We reveal things to the world about God, such as the fact that He is a relational God Whose primary importance is relationship and that He is a God Who has a heart for romance. He is a God that, like a woman, yearns for us to seek Him and pursue Him, to desire Him and delight in Him. But most of all, women reveal to the world the mystery of God, and the beauty of God.

Here With Us

"Here With Us" by Joy Williams

This is my new favorite Christmas Song. I tear up when I hear it and today, as I watched the video below, I could not keep myself from crying. Emmanuel means "God with us". God came to be with us humans...when we look at Jesus, we are seeing God- His character and love. That very love moved Him to come to be with us, to be a human like us. This song is just so beautiful:)

My Girls

I made the above collage of my daughters. I feel so honored and privileged to be the mother of three girls (don't worry- I adore my son too; in fact, my bond with him is probably strongest). I am looking forward to watching my little girls become beautiful ladies...they will be women who are confident and embrace femininity.

I would write more, and plan to do so, but I have not been feeling too hot- my sinuses are acting up it seems. It is difficult for me to write when I am not feeling well. But for now, I'll leave you all with my little online scrapbook page:)

Feminism, Femininity and Sarah Palin

I am a member of "Team Sarah" which is a coalition of women (men also welcomed) dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process. A while back, the following quote was posted there: "If Governor Sarah Palin's historic candidacy proved anything, it is that women can meet these challenges without sacrificing their femininity. And thanks to Gov. Palin's leadership, there are more women in this battle than ever before. The very women whom the woman's movement had convinced were invisible now know their power."

Recently, Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote a great article (Weekly Standard: 12/15/2008, Volume 014, Issue 13) of which the following is quoted from: "Palin operates in a grievance-free environment. She likes being a woman...She gives every appearance of loving her role as a wife and mother of a bunch of kids. She lives as if she believes in the natural complementarity of men and women, rather than the supposed enmity and competition of the sexes depicted as universal by left feminism...She is feminine and she is confident...This confidence is what gets under the skin of the old-guard feminists the most. How could she? She takes her femininity and pro-life position and strides confidently right through those doors they feel they opened...Finally, after all these years, we see a confident, successful, feminine woman no more afraid of barriers than the hardest-core liberal feminist."

The above two quotes inspired me to create a video montage of Sarah Palin in her feminine glory!



Sarah is an example of a strong woman with a soft heart. She has remained a woman with a compassionate and tender heart; a wife with a beautiful love for her husband; and a mother who cherishes her children and all children. At the same time, she is filled with courage to fight for the truth, walk in the integrity of her convictions, and work hard.

One thing that has inspired me most about her is that she has not neglected any part of her beautiful womanhood: her faith in God, Who is her guide in life; her character, which is one of courage, integrity, compassion, honesty and grace; her intelligence, which she has obviously cultivated; and her physical health/appearance as she runs and keeps herself in shape.

The first feminists were against abortion. They believed women should have the rights a man has, but they also believed a human soul in his mother's womb has rights.

Well, us christian women believe the same. I am sure all of my readers believe that a woman has the same God given rights as a man. (I am not speaking now of husbands and wives and the beautiful gift of submission). I am speaking of men and women in general.

Yet, we also recognize that an infant inside of a woman is also a human with rights. This is the type of women we are: pro-woman but also pro-life. Sarah Palin has been a long time member of a group called "Feminists for Life", a group that believes in a woman's rights but also in the rights of the unborn.

I am part of this group of women that are pro-God, pro-family, pro-America, pro-woman (as in equal rights) and ALSO pro-life!!! A group of women who CELEBRATE our femininity!

Every Human Has a Right to Life

Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to be taking a look at reasons for being pro-choice, and how these reasons simply do not make sense.

This blog is about the issue of the human baby's rights while he is inside his mother. Here is a question and the answer taken from the Feminists for Life website:

So you believe that a tiny speck—a zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus—has rights over a woman?

Women aren't stupid. We know it's a baby that is growing just like we did in our mother's wombs. That is why most women who feel they have emotional and financial support don't have abortions.

I don't believe in discrimination based on size, age or location. Do you believe that a child has less of a right to exist because he or she is small? Are large or tall people more valuable than small or short people? By that logic, most women would have fewer rights than men!

For years, abortion advocates have been pitting women against their unborn children, dehumanizing the growing child with misleading phrases like "blobs of cells" and "products of conception."

Fetus is a Latin word meaning "young child" or "young one." But in practice, fetus has become a clinical, dehumanized term for an unborn child.

Imagine if some group tried to deny medical care for gravidas. Once someone figured out that was the Latin word for pregnant women, the bewilderment would quickly shift to outrage.

Now for some of my own thoughts to add to the above:

When a woman is pregnant, her baby is not just "part of her body". The infant inside of her is a human itself. So why should the woman have more rights than the baby? Just because the baby is smaller or doesn't understand? The fact is that the very act of abortion is killing a human that is alive:) No other time would our society accept killing a human being.

Many people say, but how about the mother? Well, one can be pro woman and pro life. Both mother and baby, as two separate humans, have rights. But one person's rights should not be so much greater than the others that a mother is allowed to kill her baby.

Read this powerful quote from Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was one of our nation's first feminists: "When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."

Wow, that sure sheds some light on the issue huh? Women fight for their rights, knowing that they should not be treated as "property" but should be equal to men because they are humans. So how can we then turn around and treat our children as if they are anything less than humans, albeit smaller ones?

The first feminists were strongly against abortion! A woman can fight for her rights, while still maintaining dignity in fighting for those of the human inside of her. Yes, she can be PRO woman and PRO life!

The following two quotes are from the FFL website:

"By definition, equality is a principle extended to all. When one group of people gets their rights at the expense of another, there is nothing equal about it."

"The foundation of feminism is built on the basic tenets of nonviolence, nondiscrimination, and justice for all. Abortion is discrimination based on age, size, location, and sometimes gender, disability, or parentage."

The infant inside of a mother is a human being that also deserves the same rights as her mother:)

A Love Letter

Before we married, my hubby wrote some quite romantic love letters to me. This was one of my favorites:

What I Love About You

I love your bountiful heart of mercy which oozes with compassion. How you are so eager to help when there's a need.

I love your passion for family, and how it inspires me. Oh, how it woos me to be a great husband and father.

I love your inclinations toward adventure; how eager you are to absorb all you can like a thirsty sponge.

I love your concern for me when I am sick or wounded. You dash toward me as a paramedic on the scene. You quickly patch up my wounds with your ointment of love and concern.

I love your eyes. Glancing in them is like looking at a beautiful green meadow on a spring day.

I love to hear your voice. I love to hear that familiar voice. Out of your mouth flows words of life, like a stream that stretches out its nourishment to the dry ground.

Christmas Bells

"I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns

This is such a beautiful and powerful song...it is based on the poem below.



Christmas Bells
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.
"

Boots and Bangs

I recently realized that I like wearing classy, stylish, feminine boots with skirts- long and short. I am not exactly sure how I came to this awareness, but soon after I did, I was browsing my photos of Sarah Palin and found a few of them in which she wore lovely boots! Hey, another thing I have in common with her!








This video is a bit odd, but gives a nice look into Sarah's boots!





So far, I have only been able to purchase one pair from Wal-Mart, but I LOVE them!


Another change I have made/am making is my hairstyle. I played around with it the other day and parted my hair in a new way. Both my hubby and myself really like the new part.




My friend Heather suggested I try side swept bangs...and after finding some examples I think I will be getting them cut soon. I think these sort of bangs would work well for my face:)

Here are some examples I found which I like:



I also found this example which I thought interesting since a few months ago I had an "online makeover" and one of my favorite hairstyles was similar!



More to come regarding my hair when I do end up with those side swept bangs!

The Christmas Card

My hubby and I watched this movie last weekend, and I highly recommend it as a beautiful and pure love story. Faith and Family are prominent themes in this romance.

I also appreciated learning about a wonderful way we can support our troops. So many of them rarely receive any mail from back home, and something as simple as writing letters and cards can encourage them as they fight for us:) Go here to learn more.

Children Of God

John 1-

12But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name.