Introduction / Prologue

I've owned my fair share of parenting books. As a matter of fact, I had no idea how many I had until I took them off the shelf to take this picture. I was in shock. Then I laughed hysterically. With all this "help", you'd think I had this parenting gig figured out pretty well by now. Ha! 

So maybe it's because I have an apparently insatiable appetite for parenting knowledge. Maybe I'm looking for a comprehensible treatise on the particulars of mothering well. Maybe I just don't want to screw up my kids. But I'm excited to read this book because it's not just another parenting book. Mothering like Mary is not just another way for me to fail helplessly as a parent. Mary was real - she struggled with the same struggles we face today. God equipped her for the task - as he does for us too! 

I loved the paragraph in the intro that begins So why would we care to mother like Mary? ... Her hope was built on faith: that in Jesus, her life was sponged clean of sin and guilt, and her death would lead to a heavenly home. That's where I want my hope to be too, and what I want my kids to learn. 

When we open our Bibles and let God's word direct us, then we have grabbed hold of Mary's treasure. Yes! As it says in Deuteronomy 6:5-9, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads, write them on the doorframe of your houses and on your gates."  This is how I desire to parent. 

Prologue:

First off, I just want to mention how I appreciate how the author begins this section as she does in the following chapters - with poetry. It's a lovely way to summarize each section and I think she does a beautiful job!

400 years is an awfully long time! I can't say I blame Zechariah's doubting heart. I can relate to it too much. Who am I to point fingers? The paragraph that begins There is a message here for both life-long believers ... It's all very well that you have destroyed sin, death and the devil and won for me forgiveness and eternal life ... but ...  Ouch. That hits close to home! How reassuring are God's promises to us! And God always keeps his promises! 

This is a truth I share with my children. My daughter and I were just reading The Promise of Isaac Bible story and I asked her, "Why can we trust God to keep all of His promises?" She responded, "Because He always keeps His promises and what He says is true." Amen, dear daughter! 

And we pray:
Dear Lord, We ask your blessing on our study of Mary and the Treasure that she held on to. Help us to hold on to that Treasure as well - especially in these busy and hectic days leading up to Christmas. Keep our focus on You! Give us wisdom as we study your Word. Help us teach our children your truths. Sanctify us by your truth; Your word is truth! Amen

Book Club Sundries

If you are here to participate in the Advent Book Club - Welcome! There are a few items to note before the formal start of our study on December 1st. 

On November 28th, I'll be posting on the Introduction and Prologue. I'll then be posting daily starting on December 1st through the 24th. My posts are usually scheduled to publish at 8 am. 

Please remember to try and watch the movie My Son My Savior. At our church, it will be shown during adult Sunday morning Bible study on November 29th. During the following weeks of Advent, we'll also be following the study that follows scenes in the movie. 

If you're new to my format of "blog book club", let me explain how it basically goes. I start with some of my own comments and thoughts and highlight some of my favourite passages from the book.  Sometimes readers like to form their own thoughts before they read what I have to say while others may appreciate someone else going first:) It's all good! 

I'll also be personally answering one of the questions found at the end of the chapter. Feel free to share your own thoughts or answers in the comment section below. This gets the conversation going!

If you get behind, DON'T PANIC! If you're a week back and just now making comments, it'll still be read and acknowledged. You can still be part of the conversation. 

I try to make it really clear as to what I'm quoting. If I am italicizing words in the same size font, this means it's from the book The Mom God Chose. I usually will give a page number or the first words of the paragraph as reference. If words are italicized and in bold, I am quoting the Bible. If they are in just bold and same font, it's either a prayer or used for stress. If I'm quoting from the hymnal, you'll know this by small, italicized font with the hymn reference. OK - hopefully it's not as confusing as all that sounds now but will make more sense as we go along. 

Oh! And if you are here for book club and wondering who I am - I don't blame you:) I'm Rachel - (WELS) pastor's wife, mother of two, home-maker, home-educator, home-based hair stylist and child of God.   This is technically my family blog. I started it in 2007 as a way to communicate with family and friends all over the place when my husband and I traveled to China to adopt our daughter. Since then, I've just kept writing! So no worries if you could care less about the wreath I made by destroying an old Lutheran hymnal, or you're not interested in the super cute chairs I my husband just recovered with adorable IKEA fabric. I'm just thrilled you're here now for the purpose of joining me in the study of Mary through the month of December! May God bless your Advent study! 

Advent Book Club Announcement!

I'm so excited to announce the book I'll be discussing here this Advent season! Let me tell you a little about it.

Northwestern Publishing House very recently released their new movie, My Son My Saviour out in time for this Christmas season. Along with this release are accompanying tools for further study - devotionals, Advent by Candlelight program, small group study, etc. They've also just published a book, The Mom God Chose written by fellow pastor's wife (and Canadian:) Sarah Habben. The website has the following synopsis:

Discover more about the mother of Jesus and learn timeless truths for raising your own children in the book The Mom God Chose. Throughout the book, you'll be reminded to rely on your heavenly Father in all the trials you face as a mom. After all, motherhood is a blessing from God! In addition to 24 compelling lessons, the book includes interviews of present-day moms and study questions.

I'll be starting the discussion December 1st with an earlier post on the introduction. You can purchase the book here. If you live by me, you can purchase a book from my church and save yourself the trouble. But I ordered limited quantities so let me know ASAP. 

I'm very excited for this seasonal book that's sure to have impact beyond Christmas. Sarah's a gifted writer and the content is solidly Scriptural. The interviews she included of present-day moms will have you weeping in your chair! Or maybe it's just me. 

Please join me as we study Mary, the mom God chose. God also chose each of us as the moms of our kids. It may seem sometimes that we're not cut out for this role (and that maybe our kids were switched at birth) but God is equipping us for the task!! And through our mothering, we are serving and glorifying Him! 

One more thing - watch the movie if you can. Your WELS church should have a stack by now if they've been paying any attention to the mail, WELS Connection, or checking their email. You can also order a copy yourself. 

Joining the book club? Feel free to leave a comment letting me know with as much or as little info as you feel comfortable. I pray this study will be a blessing to you, sisters! 

Sewing, School on the Road, Soup Weather and Such

Plymouth Rock, people. The rock. Pilgrims. Mayflower. All set in beautiful New England. It was lovely! Let me back up ...

Wayne had pastor's conference in Massachusetts and Zanna and I tagged along. While the men spent their time in meetings, Lisa Gumm and her kids hung out with us and explored the area. We spent the first day exploring a mill in Providence that was one of the first to spark the Industrial Revolution. Serious history, ya'll. 
We took the guided tour followed up by a picnic lunch in the perfect fall weather. 

Once the men were relieved of their duties, we packed the gang up and both families headed for Plymouth. Time was ticking and we went straight for Plimoth Plantation - a live museum with people dressed in costume and playing their part on the plantation. We toured the Wampanoag tribe's settlement and walked the street of the Pilgrim's village, peaking our heads in to explore their homes. 

That night we took full advantage of the hotel we managed to score. It was right at the top of the hill of the original Plymouth "main street". It boasted a pool and waterslide that was built into a replica of the Mayflower! And the hot tub was built into "Plymouth Rock".  It was super cool!!

Plymouth Rock itself was nothing to write home about as you can see above. It was a rock (duh). You looked at it from above. It was surrounded by fence. It had the date inscribed on it. At night, it wasn't even lit up. But whatever!

The next day we visited the Mayflower 2 - replica of the original. Again, people were dressed and in character to answer questions having to do with the long trip over from England. It was really neat to imagine what it must have been like for the passengers. 

We also enjoyed some good New England fare: NE Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls and Mayflower Golden Ale. 

We really enjoyed and cherished our time spent with good friends. We thank God for their friendship!!

Back on the home front, Zanna finally finished her sewing project with godmother "Auntie" Karen. Karen had given her books on sewing ideas for her birthday. After picking one out, the two have been meeting regularly to complete the project. Karen has inspired a love of sewing in this girl! She's now the go - to gal in the family to fix clothing tears, puts buttons back on and has made little things for her dolls. Thank goodness because that's an area her mother doesn't do well;)

Mother-in-law, Fran, came for a visit to see us for just over a week in October. We enjoyed having her join us in our regular goings on - dragging her to swim and violin lessons, homeschool co-op, Bible classes, choir, the grocery store - you get the idea! We also took a special trip to Quebec City on our "weekend" (Monday and Tuesday).  

It was totally worth doing a city tour and getting a local to guide us around for a few hours pointing out places and filling in history. The days were cool but sunny and beautiful! Some fall colour still clung to select trees and bushes - just enough to keep it cheery! We got a great workout walking up and down all those hills and treated ourselves to authentic French-Canadian fare: Quebec meat pies, pea soup, maple syrup pie, poutine. 

No kidding - around every corner of this city is a picture! Lovely!

On the home front, I recovered my dining room chairs. The following is particularly for my mom's benefit, but if you happen to care please feel free to read on.

It started at IKEA, where all good schemes seem to start. I didn't realize I needed fabric when I went in. But by the time Mom and I came out, both of us possessed fabric we couldn't live without. And because I don't sew (see above comments), I could only come up with the excuse of recovering my chairs. Before we left IKEA, we managed to talk some other strange lady into buying this fabric too. 

Anyway, when I got home I proudly and excitedly showed Wayne my new fabric and shared what I planned on doing with it. Do you know that he wasn't nearly as excited as I expected him to be? I didn't get it? Why should he care? It cost me all of $15 so it couldn't be the unneeded expense. Sure, the fabric on them already was still in good shape but this would update them. Who doesn't want to update? 

I finally got around to this project on his day off - a Monday - because I needed him and his staple gun. And since I don't use his staple gun, I needed him. It was at that point I realized, this is not my project - I've just signed him up to recover our chairs! You're welcome, honey!

So here's the before on top and the after on the bottom. He did an awesome job (except one of the chairs has upside down fabric, but whatever). They bring out the Scandinavian in the style of furniture. The fabric (not the upside down). 

I can not believe how fast this season is going! Will is having a great Sophomore year at Prep and I have not seen him for THREE MONTHS! So we are really looking forward to being with him soon. And believe it or not, Advent is around the corner and I might almost be done with my Christmas shopping. Yay!! And I also have an exciting announcement for my upcoming blog book club for Advent. Stay tuned because you're NOT going to want to miss this one. I hope you will join me:)