The End of the World

I've been interested in the end of the world, lately.

If that sounds odd, it shouldn't. You see, it all started with a trailer for the movie 2012. Apparently it has the world ending with another flood. Then I happened to see in a video store the move "Waterworld." Also about lots of water. And I thought, Haven't these people read the Bible? God said He wouldn't destroy the earth with another flood. So water is out.

I began reading chapter 21 in the Book of Revelation, actually for a different reason than what I'm going to mention here. But verse 1 says something like [I'm quoting from memory, so bear with me], "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. And there was no more sea." When I read that, I was intrigued. I mean, I probably have read that verse countless times before. But this time I really read it, if you know what I mean.

There will be a new earth and a new heaven. What will they be like? Pink sky instead of blue? What will the landscape be like? It does say that there will not be a sea anymore. So does that mean no more oceans? That lets out a lot of cruises. Guess if you want to go on a cruise, you'd better do it soon!

The other thing to think about is this: If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and follow Him, then you'll be here in that new heaven and new earth. Won't that be different? Our finite minds need time to process that kind of stuff, but if your spirit can grasp it, look out! It gives you a different perspective when you look out your front door.

Till next time,
Jeanette

The Year of Freedom

What did Jesus really preach?

I was reading a book the other day by Dr. Leroy Thompson in which he talked about the passage in Luke 4 where Jesus read from the book of Isaiah at the synagogue. The quote from Isaiah ended with "to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (I'm going by memory here, so bear with me.)

Do you know what the acceptable year of the Lord is? It's the year of Jubilee--the year when slaves were set free, property returned to their owners, and debts canceled. Well, in Dr. Thompson's book, he mentioned about Jesus preaching the acceptable year of the Lord, and then in parentheses he said something like "(the year when all debts are canceled)."

Have you ever read something and a light bulb goes off in your head? You hear a "ding!" and the bell rings? The understanding of something dawns on you, and you get it?

I had that type of moment when my eyes read that parenthetical statement. Jesus preached debt cancellation. Hello! Did you get that? Believers, Christians, the Church, disciples--however you want to call it--are supposed to experience Jubilee, the acceptable year of the Lord. We're supposed to be enjoying freedom from debt!

Wow. If you didn't get that "ding" moment, don't worry. Just keep reading Luke 4 and studying about the year of Jubilee from the Old Testament. It'll come!

Till next time,
Jeanette

Coffee, Anyone?

After having declared that coffee was "stinky" and that I wouldn't drink it, I have a new favorite "chick" beverage. I was at a restaurant on Monday night with another gal and decided to expand my tastes. I ordered a Frozen Mocha.

Okay, it was good. Not too strong on the coffee. More like chocolate with a little bit of coffee taste. So now that's my new thing.

John David, my now 7-year-old, also has developed a fascination for coffee. Only his was about opening the bag of his daddy's coffee grounds. Of course, the inevitable happened. The coffee spilled. Only I didn't know it until I walked in the kitchen, smelled it, and saw John David running to the bathroom, his shorts and legs covered in coffee grounds.

Can I say, "mess"?

John David promptly had a lesson on the suctioning power of the vacuum. He got quite interested in how the coffee grounds moved when he placed the nozzle near them.

Coffee, anyone?

Till next time,
Jeanette

Recent Vignettes

This blog post is a hodgepodge...little vignettes of my life from the past few weeks.

Of course, the biggest news was the passing of my father. He was 86. I won't go into details. Let me only say that I highly recommend staying healthy and out of nursing homes.

One thing I have been pondering since the funeral, though, were the images captured in photos of my aunts and uncles that I saw. For the first time I saw pictures of my aunts when they were young and newly married. The photos were the old sepia versions, but what caught my attention was the sparkle in their eyes. We get so used to seeing older people as they are at the moment that we forget that they too were once young and full of dreams for the future. Those images of my young aunts have really stayed with me.

Since then my husband and I have "celebrated" our 13th wedding anniversary. And I had a big zit on my face. Is that important? Yes! Who wants to go out to a nice restaurant for an anniversary "date" and have a big fat red circle that can't be hidden? It's like a neon sign: "I'm in my forties, my hair is going gray, and look at this big zit!!"

Ah well.

And, by the way, did I mention that our newest computer, which is probably four years old, died? So it took a week to figure everything out, but now we have the older computer, which is nine years old, hooked up to the Internet. And the ten-year-old computer is now being used for games by the kids. Why are the older computers outlasting the newer one? Hmm?

There's nothing like going to the public library to get on the computer to check your email, and being surrounded by young people on the other computers doing who knows what. Did I mention that my hair is more gray than brown, it seems, and there was a zit on my face?!

So that's the latest. Not very informative, but if, dear reader, you got a laugh, than that's fine.

Till next time,
Jeanette

Which Way to School?

I've been thinking lately on why I have chosen to homeschool my children. What is at the core of this decision?

So far my main reason is as thus. (Forgive me if this is disjointed; I'm still processing things.)

As I have pondered this question, "Why?" I am considering what abilities and skills I want my children to have when they are grown and even while they are growing.

The biggest thing I want my children to be able to do is take responsibility for themselves and their decisions. In other words, I want them to be able to think critically and wisely about whatever faces them, then have the ability to make a decision about it that they can justify and life with and defend. And to not fall down in despair if it turns out to be a wrong decision.

It took me years of being out in "the real world" and the workforce and even after I quit my job to realize just how much I depended on someone else to tell me what to do. And I think in large part that is due to the current public school system where everything is structured and children go here, do this, then do that, etc. They don't have much input or say or responsibility. After 12 or so years, that gets to be a habit.

So I don't want that for my kids. I want them to have the freedom to take responsibility and be self-directed. To have the discipline and the self-confidence to do that. To be able to be spontaneous in learning.

There are other issues as well, but I would have to say this is the main issue for me. I'm still processing things, like I said, but this is at the core.

After all, I thought to myself, what is the purpose of education? To gain knowledge? Or to prepare for life?

I think the latter is the foundation for the former.

Till next time,
Jeanette

My New Best Friend: White Vinegar

Our last women's meeting was very informative. We talked about natural cleaning products, as well as natural beauty products.

My biggest "find" of the night was distilled white vinegar. I was told that not only does it make a great fabric softener and "uric acid" remover in laundry (think potty training), but also that it makes a great floor cleaner. Since our dryer's motor died in June and it was a couple of weeks before it was repaired, we had to hang out our laundry. White vinegar, a half cup or so poured in before the rinse cycle, worked great! The clothes we hung out did much better, especially the towels. They didn't turn into hardened sticks, like they had before! I'm already on my second container of white vinegar for the laundry.

I haven't tried it on the floor yet, but I found out it works great on mold!

You see, our laundry room sink got all these splashed-up mold spores from the drain because JD kept playing with the sink and turning the water on full blast. A white sink with black spots where there are to be no black spots is not nice. Especially since just wiping at them did not remove them.

Then I had that "Aha!" moment. Why not use distilled white vinegar on it? I got an extra toothbrush, a cup with vinegar, and went to work. Let me tell you--those little spots literally melted in the vinegar. I'm serious. They melted. I felt like dancing around.*

Distilled white vinegar is my new best friend.

Isn't God good to have provided all these natural solutions in His creation?

Till next time,
Jeanette

*I still would recommend that the area be well ventilated when cleaning. After all, mold is mold.

The Joy of Hearing Your Child's Voice

Can I just say how awesome it is to hear your child talk?

For all those of you who are saying, "What?! Are you nuts?" No, I'm not.

When you have a child who does not speak, express opinion, show emotion or affection, than when he does do any of those things, you are absolutely thrilled!

JD, who will be seven years old in September, actually repeated a bedtime prayer on Friday night. It was awesome, gratifying, and wonderful. Does it matter that he was just repeating my words? Does it matter that it was sort of "echoing"? Not to me!! He prayed. He talked to God. That's all that matters, in my book.

It was the first time he has prayed like that.

It is wonderful to hear him say emphatically, "No." It is awesome to hear him express an opinion by saying "no." It is great to hear him sing a little song about shapes that he likes. It is even more wonderful to hear him count to 30 by following numbers on the calendar. It is awesome to see him write letters on the dry erase board. But to hear him repeat a prayer? That is joy unspeakable. God's goodness abounds toward us!

I am expecting great things to come next!

Till next time,
Jeanette

Front Teeth Tales

Remember the little song, "All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth"?

How about losing two front teeth?

My six-year-old has four new permanent teeth in. However, the four baby teeth that were replaced took their time coming out. In fact, the permanent teeth came in behind the baby teeth.

Now, that wasn't so bad for the bottom ones. But the top? After two months of having four top front teeth, JD was sitting in the dentist's office. The dentist took one look and said, "The baby teeth have to come out ASAP."

What does that mean? It means my six-year-old has to go to a "special dentist", go under anesthesia and be put to sleep, and have his teeth pulled.

Not nice.

So we had the consultation with the "special dentist." When I asked about what type of mask I could use to practice with JD, he generously gave me one. For a couple of days leading up to the appointment, we practiced "breathing" through the mask for anesthesia. We even counted while holding the mask.

It's all about preparation.

The big day came--no eating any food or drinking any water from midnight the night before. At 7:35 a.m. we were at the office, the first appointment of the day. After I signed all the paperwork describing what could go wrong (!), JD did GREAT!

He counted to 30 with the mask; I was kicked out of the room so they could do the procedure; 15 to 20 minutes later he was waking up and the teeth were in my purse. And he didn't get sick or anything.

Whew!

He did better with it than I did, I think.

How many more baby teeth to go? Twelve?

"Father, I ask in the name of Jesus that the rest of JD's baby teeth come out easily on their own!"

Amen.

Till next time,
Jeanette

Bits and Pieces

Bits and pieces tonight...

My container garden is growing well...although some unknown creature dug a hole in my pepper plant pot. In the dirt, that is. Quite puzzling. At least the plant is still growing. We've eaten quite a bit of the lettuce. How nice it is to just go "cut some lettuce" and have it on the table rather than buying it at the store!

Our 6-year-old son's progress is wonderful. He actually put words together to say "I hungry" the other night. And he has learned how to swing by himself. It is now his favorite pastime. The only thing is, he swings so high and hard that we have to stand there and hold down the swing set!

My new recipes that I have tried lately (just search for "Sue Gregg" to find her cookbooks online) have been awesome. Good-bye flour; hello blender batter method for baking! Very tasty, and much nicer for alternative grains. Can I say "Almond Coffee Cake"? Barley is our latest favorite grain!

My latest revelation is that, more than we realize, what goes on in our lives is a result of our choices. It's not God's fault. Neither is it really the devil's fault (although he takes advantage of our ignorance). More like it's our fault. What Genesis says is that God created mankind to be in charge. We were created to have dominion over the earth and that dominion was put in motion at the beginning. So it's our responsibility. The ramifications are interesting...

Till next time,
Jeanette

Turnaround in a Day

Yikes. I haven't done very well with my New Year's Resolution, have I?

So what has been going on lately that I haven't been blogging? Well, it really is more an attitude than an actual event. Sure, things have been interesting lately with potty training. (I should keep track of the money spent on this particular aspect of parenting. Bribes, new potty chair, distractions, prizes, stickers, doctor's visit!) A doctor's visit for potty training? Yes, even that. Not to help with training, but to make sure nothing is wrong with the bottom because of withholding. Yep. We got into that little cycle. Diaper rash, it hurt, then four weeks of crying and fussing at pooping. Sigh. So yeah, add a visit to the pediatric clinic to the list of costs.

And it's only the beginning of June.

Back to my point. It's not really events; it's an attitude that has been causing me to avoid blogging. In a nutshell, I was too tired to put forth the effort. But after a discussion last night with my husband about changing the way we parent, plus some other steps we made, things are turning around, even in one day.

Now that sounds like God, doesn't it?

Change in one day. I like that.

Briefly, we acknowledged that we are both laid back and easy going, and that doesn't work for the almost-four-year-old's personality and character. We have to change and be more proactive and return demands with, "God gave you two legs and arms and a brain, so you can do it yourself."

That's just a general example, but do you get the drift?

So that's a small picture of life in the Sprecher household recently. I'm sure more changes are to come. Including maybe blogging more often!

Till next time,
Jeanette

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Remember the old nursery rhyme? "Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" Contrariness aside, I am thrilled to report that my seeds in my "vegetable container garden" are up!

So far I have radishes, leaf lettuce, and onions sprouting above ground in rectangular flat containers out on the balcony. Those couple of unseasonably warm days we had gave them a great start!

And my tomato and pepper plant seedlings continue to grow in their little peat "pots" in the bathroom window. It looks like I have more tomato than pepper plants (at least that I can tell), as a result of JD pulling out all my seedlings earlier.

Just imagine...in a few months' time I'll be rolling in tomatoes! Mmm. Am looking forward to it! Homemade ketchup, salsa, spaghetti sauce.... Yum.

Was it as easy as 1-2-3? Nope! I started rather late, as I am learning the organic method of preparing soil. Apparently one is to start that the autumn before! And I don't have any worms in containers either, to aerate the soil. Or compost. Or all the other host of things one should do to ensure the best nutrients in the veggies.

BUT, I started!

So how does my garden grow? Very well. It's blessed! Deuteronomy 28 says that everything I put my hand to prospers. So my vegetables are prosperous vegetables, regardless.

Till next time (hopefully sooner than one month, my apologies!),
Jeanette

Checking In

Just checking in this week...it's been about a month since my last post! So much for following my New Year's resolution.

My seedlings are growing...some pepper plants and tomato plants. I'm not sure which is which anymore, though, because John David had pulled them out. I found them in time and replanted them. That was not a good day for me!

Today is Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter. One thing I really felt the Holy Spirit impress on me this morning was the availability of resurrection power. The power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us! It's the power to bring back life...to restore, renew and rejuvenate. A powerful word.

So the first quarter of 2009 is already past. A good time to reevaluate goals and make adjustments. You know, that IS a good idea. I think I'll do that myself!

Till next time,
Jeanette

Heaven Is Like Australia

Tonight as I was sitting in the glider rocker in my three-year-old's bedroom, waiting for her to fall asleep, I began thinking about my mother and my brother. My mother passed away about four and a half years ago, while my brother passed on about two and a half years ago.

I miss them, yes...especially when I'd like to ask my mother if she remembers what she did when potty training us kids! And sometimes I cry missing them, depending on how tired and weepy I feel to begin with. But I can't say that I "grieved" for them like most people think about grieving.

Don't think I'm heartless. You see, it's just like they're in Australia.

This is the best description I have heard about having loved ones in heaven....

Imagine it's the 1700s and your loved ones are setting sail by ship across the world from England (or America, in this case!) to Australia. There are no phones, no email, not even snail mail! You may never see them again. You wave, and the ship sails out with the tide.

But you know what? You know they're alive. They're busy doing work, eating, resting, having a good time. You don't mourn them. You just can't talk to them. It's like they're in another world from yours; they're in Australia!

So my mother and brother are in heaven. They're busy doing work, eating, resting, having a good time. I just can't talk to them. They're in another world, after all. But they're alive. And in this case, I'll see them again and find out what they've been doing all the while!

Heaven is, after all, just like Australia.

Till next time,
Jeanette

Getting That Gardening Urge

I am getting excited about container gardening...

I grew up on a farm, so the garden my parents set out was huge. I remember digging in the dirt, putting in the seeds, planting seedlings, and finding worms cut in half. I also remember weeding portions of that plot. And going out early in the morning with instructions to "pick peas" or "pick strawberries" or "pick tomatoes." (I really did not like those tomato worms. They reminded me of small versions of those monsters in old 1960s and 70s B movies. Do you know what I mean?)

BUT, today, I appreciate the idea of having a garden!

I have determined that this year I am having some pots on my balcony or somewhere of yes, tomatoes (!), lettuce, onions, and peppers!

I LOVE spring green onions...and just think of your own tomatoes...your own salad lettuce. And peppers! Can anyone say homemade salsa?

Yum!

Now, how to do it? And, where do I get seeds that are genetically modified? There are places out there that sell them! Fortunately I have friends who know where. There Internet has its advantages!

I'll you posted! (Pun intended.)

Till next time,
Jeanette

Natural and Painless Weight Loss

One of my latest finds from the Bible that I am using daily is found in Proverbs 25.

I have decided that the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to change the way I think about eating. And the way to change how I think is to reprogram my mind with living words...God's words.

And so every day when I wake up in the morning (and now that I think about it, I should do this before every meal), I make this declaration: "I eat only what is sufficient for me."

Are you curious about this verse yet? Here it is, in the Amplified Bible:

"Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest, being filled with it, you vomit it" (Proverbs 25:16).

Lovely picture, isn't it?

But the truth in this proverb from one of the wisest men who ever lived is unmistakable. Eat only what is sufficient. By speaking it out loud as a personal declaration, I am re-programing my thinking. After a while, I'll have trained my body to eat only what is sufficient. Voila! Reduced weight gain and eventually weight loss—naturally and painlessly!

Interestingly enough, the Amplified Bible allows more than just food to be used in this context. What do you find pleasurable and sweet...that overcomes you? I can think of a few things that people struggle with in life. Here's the proverb: Don't overdo...or it can hurt you.

It's good food for thought, isn't it? (Pun intended.)

Till next time,
Jeanette

Fishing for Flashlights

After telling stories about my children the other night at a women's group, I felt a little guilty. But then the next morning my 6-year-old did something that was so humorous, I didn't feel guilty anymore.

JD is in an exploring stage. Granted, this is the stage 2-year-olds go through. So it's good that he's going through this stage, BUT!

He likes to play with flashlights. I saw him walking through the kitchen with the flashlight and didn't think much of it. Until he went into the back bathroom and I heard a "kerplunk" and a splash. Yikes! "John David!" I went running back there. He looked up at me with a mischievous little grin and I looked down into the toilet to see the flashlight looking back up at me sadly as bubbles rose up and burst on the surface. Glug, glug, glug... Aagh! I fished the flashlight out, dumped out the batteries, poured out the water (it was clean, fortunately!!), and said, all the while trying not to laugh, "John David! You don't put flashlights in the toilet!"

Tee hee hee! He ran off. I thought, This kid knows exactly what he is doing.

I didn't think much more of it till I went upstairs to use the bathroom up there. I lifted the lid and aagggh! My little book light floated in the water, looking forlorn and waterlogged. It was in pieces, and the three little batteries were on the bottom....waaaay on the bottom. I had to put on a rubber glove to fish all the pieces out. All the while trying not to laugh. "John David!!!"

So. This may not seem funny to you, but when you have a child who is coming out of something like autism, this is GREAT!

I always can get another flashlight. I'll just have to hide it.

Till next time,
Jeanette

God Can't Not

I want to talk about the Bible verse I am really focusing on right now.

It's an incredible verse for those dealing with today's economy and all the things going on in the financial world.

It's Romans 8:32... "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Wow.

First of all, it shows God's tremendous character of love. And because He loves so much, He gives it all. Think about it. How many of you parents would give up your own child to some torturous death to rescue another? Yet God the Father loved us so much, He did just that.

And if He would give up His own Son for us, how, why, would He withhold anything else we needed? Food? Shelter? Peace of mind? He can't. He can't not do it. It's His nature to give. That's what this verse says. "How shall he not?" He can't not. He will.

And He gives it freely.

So whatever you need in this economy...another car, your mortgage payment, clothes for your kids, even food on the table, God will freely give it.

He can't not.

You just have to ask Him...and believe He will.

Till next time,
Jeanette

For Girls Only

Have you ever heard of the Partido Mexicano Socialiste?

When I was in college (I won't say how many years ago), one of the classes I took was a political class. In the textbook was mentioned the Mexican Socialist Party, except it used the Mexican name, Partido Mexicano Socialiste, or the PMS.

Obviously a man edited that textbook.

Seeing PMS in print struck my fancy, and the Partido Mexicano Socialiste became my secret, private code name for a certain time in a gal's monthly cycle.

Well, I saw the signs coming.

Sometimes I've just gotta have chocolate. Sometimes I get extra flirty with my husband. (He can always tell with these two signs.) But sometimes I clean. Go figure.

Today I cleaned out the "junk drawers" in the laundry room. Found all sorts of odd things. An old camera. It probably still works, but I ripped out the film anyway. Golf balls and tees. Buttons. A flashlight that Jessica promptly took off with. A Christmas figurine that I also gave her. Lots of trash. Screws. I got to fill up my toolbox with some stuff. Birthday bags (now they might come in handy sometime.)

De-cluttering is a good thing.

Being cranky is not.

Sigh. And last night my mother-in-law gave me leftover chocolate from her party last week. Should I see that as God's provision?

Maybe I'll go eat some pie instead.

Till next time,
Jeanette

Football Playoff Fan

Now, I am not what you call a football fan. But I married one. So I have taken an interest in the playoff games. I find them more interesting because the stakes are higher, I guess. There's more real drama than hype. We watched the game between the Cardinals and the Eagles.

Now, I live in Pennsylvania, so you would think that I would be rooting for the Eagles. But I was hollering for the Cardinals.

First, because my husband was yelling for the Eagles. It put a little more interest in the living room to have us pulling for the opposite teams.

And second, because I happen to remember when Kurt Warner was the quarterback for the Rams and they won the Super Bowl way back when. And Kurt Warner is an outspoken Christian. And if I recall correctly, he and his family have experience with autism.

Go, Cardinals! Yippee!

Till next time,
Jeanette

Knowing What You Are Eating

A couple of women from my church have started organizing and offering different events to help re-introduce the skills of homemaking that used to be commonplace. Yesterday was our bread-making event.

When I found out that 14 people had signed up, I was surprised. I said to my husband, "That shows there is an interest and a need in these things."

So even though the weather wasn't the best--albeit cooperative in the form of a lull in the storm--a number of us had fun baking bread!

Did you know that once wheat is ground into flour, it only has 72 hours before it is no longer good, if it is kept at room temperature? But if you store the flour in the refrigerator or freezer, it will keep its nutritional value more effectively.

Did you know that there are different kinds of wheat--spring, winter, red, white--and that one type of wheat does better for one type of baked good than another?

I am reminded of the saying that "knowledge is power." Having this kind of information empowers a person to make more knowledgeable choices about the food he or she eats. With all the health issues that people face today, wouldn't it be wiser to know what exactly we are eating, what benefits it has (or even if it has none), and what effect it has on our bodies?

I am reminded of another saying, one from the Bible: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." That's the opposite of the saying that "what we don't know won't hurt us." Hmm. I think I pick what God says.

He knows more.

Till next time,
Jeanette

A Pretty Cool Dream

Sometimes the dreams you have while dozing during that in-between stage of awake and asleep are more significant than you think. This one certainly was.

It was one of those mornings when John David, our six-year-old, had gotten us up at 4:15 a.m. or so...and I rolled over and went back to sleep while my husband got up with him. But wives and mothers don't really go back to sleep (depending on how tired we are); we just doze with one ear open to hear what's going on in the rest of the house.

'Twas while I was in this in-between stage of awake and asleep that I had this dream...

In the dream, we were living in a small rancher home. And then it was like I opened a door off the kitchen at one end of the rancher, and there was more house! I walked into more rooms....another dining room, living room, even a music room with a piano/organ-type instrument in it. One room's walls were painted a pleasing shade of green and had a Victorian-looking lamp. There even were old-fashioned upholstered chairs with the doily on the top like the grandmothers of past years used to have on their furniture. There was so much more house, even friends of ours who have six children all fit and we couldn't hear the kids playing, it was so big.

I woke up and thought, "Wow." And the meaning hit me almost immediately. We are living in half a house...in only half or less of all that God has for us. There is so much more out there that we could be living in, that God has for us. And it's good. And it's restful. And we'll like it.

We just need to open the door to it.

A pretty cool dream. For 2009, I want to move into more "house"!

Till next time,
Jeanette