So, where have i been, I know you all want to know. I've been working on a Christmas present for my hubby. I knitted him a scarf. I'm not a very fast knitter and I have had arthritis in my hands for 20 odd years, so, slow going is putting it lightly. Nearly every spare min I had, I was knitting. And when I wasn't, my hands were too sore to type. I also had to start over four times. First it was too long, then I decided that plain black, although it looks good on him, was too boring. Then it was too tight to really work with. I guess 4th times a charm. :)
He's never really been a scarf kinda guy. But I thought that he might finally be cold enough to start wearing one. I think he does like it, but it remains to be seen if he'll wear it.
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. We did. We had a very small budget this year, but still managed to get everyone some nice things. I even got my c.d. By Lucifer! Well, I don't have it yet, but it is on the way (as long as they send the right product, it's coming from China, not Japan and we've has issues with that before.) Still, can't wait. Might have a long wait anyway. But once it is mine, i can listen whenever, where ever. I will no longer be a slave to the internet and youtube!
So, as it's a "whatever Wednesday" I think I'm already sticking to that topic.. LOL
Oh, I've got great news! Well, for us anyway! We have our badges and hotel room, so Anime Milwaukee (or AMKE), here we come! We always have so much fun there. It's not really too far that we have to have a hotel room, but it's part of the fun to stay right on sight. There is literally something going on 24 hours a day the whole weekend. If you've never been, and you like anime and Manga, voice actors, or Doctor Who, Firefly, Disney, Renaissance fairs, or Japanese culture, swords, cosplay, video games, umm, well, really anything that is nerdy or geeky, it's there. It does focus mostly on anime and manga, but, you can really find it all there. So, if you can be in the Milwaukee area the weekend of February 17 to the 19th, go, go, GO! It is totally worth it.
Some of the kids know what they want to cosplay as. My 12 year old daughter wants to be Sen from "Spirited Away." We've already got a good costume for that. Last year she was Kiki from "Kiki's Delivery Service," had to make that dress. Tough, but fun. She might use that one again. I'll probably just go as my normal "genaric anime mom" - basicly I wear a skirt or jumper with a white apron and a low pony tail or loose braid. If you've even seen an anime mom, you'll know the look. 15 year old son probably won't dress up. 21 year old son, wants to be like, five different things. My rule is, as of 2 weeks before the convention, all costumes must be 90% or more done, or I'm not helping anymore. Too crazy to get it all done that close to convention time. I know! Hubby won't dress up either. He did it the second year he went, but it's not really his thing. I'm just glad he's going. I've been trying to get everyone to dress up as the wondering nomads from "Avatar" but so far, no agreements. I think we'd be great at that.
Guess that's all I've got tonight.
Blessings,
MamaAthena
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Thanksgiving weekend
Hi all. I'll come down off the soap box for tonight. It's late,and I just want to post something, anything really. Sometimes I just want to write, something, anything. I might not have anything specific to share, or anything important. But sometimes, you just gotta write. I'll bet a lot of you are like that sometimes. All 2 of you who check out my blog. LOL
Lately I've been really into an old Japanese bad that was formed for an anime in the late 1990's/ early 2000's. Called Lucifer. No, they are not devil worshipers. The literal translation of Lucifer is Fallen Angel (which is what the devil is called in the Bible, I know, but this is not from a Christian perspective. There are a lot of differences in the way demons and devils are viewed in Japan). The anime is based on the manga of the same name; "Kaikan Phrase" or "Sensual Phrase" by a mangaka called Shinjo, Mayu. The band in the manga is famous for writing songs with heavy sensual lyrics. It's a bit different in the anime, and the band was created to promote the anime. It's a hard rock style. The only problem is that I can't buy the album on iTunes! So, I have to find it on YouTube, I'm pretty grateful I can find it there, otherwise I'd never know how great they are. It's so frustrating. I've found ONE for sale, but, obviously it's from Japan. And a bit pricey. :( You can find Japanese songs and bands from the 1990's, just not this one yet. I think I'm starting to get some of the words down, it's kinda strange listing to a different language, not even a Latin based one at that. But, I really like the singer's voice, and the band is great. "Midnight Crow" might just be the best song.
When I was in high school I would have been completely in love with this band. They are right up the same alley as Great White (now I like Jack Russel's Great White), Poison, Motley Crue, White Lion, Tesla, ect. 1980's & 1990's hair band, hard rock. I would spend all my money on concert tickets and tour t-shirts. While all but one friend spent their money on name brands clothes, and made fun of me for buying my jeans from Goodwill, mine went to concerts. The one friend, my best friend from 8th grade and on (once I had kids, and she didn't, we didn't see each other as much, she got to keep spending money on concerts and I couldn't, but we still loved each other!), we probably went to 10 concerts a year, and since we lived in Milwaukee at the time, Summerfest! We were probably there 8 or 9 of the 11 days each year! It was a lot of fun. I hope that as my kids get older and flee the nest, I might get to go to some concerts again. Now though, I would attend more than one type of music concert. I'd hit as many as I could (except rap. Just don't like it.) No cheerleader, football game stories from me, it's all concert stories.
The best one I ever went to wasn't even a band I was too familiar with. It was a Summerfest performance by L.A. Guns. Great band, I just din't know too many of their songs. They put on a great show, but what was most memorable was the rain. About 2/3 of the way through the show, the sky opened up in thunder, and it started pouring. So, since it's an outside venue, the band said good night. Now, this place was jammed. Mikki (best friend's nick-name) and I were 2nd row center, and we were packed in like sardines. Literally standing sideways, front to back standing on the (wooden) bench. More people had smooshed their way into the space between the benches as well. Everyone there was just having a great time, and no one was ready for the concert to end, so we all started screaming over the rain. After about five mins, the band came back out and said, "if you guys are f**kin' crazy enough to stand out here, we're f**kin' crazy enough to keep playing for you!!" And they played for more than 30 more mins! During all this, of course everyone was jumping on the bench in rhythm to the music, and we broke the benches! Only the first two rows were still wooden, the rest were metal. The next time we were there (2 days later) they had replaced the benches with metal. It was just a blast. I'm sure no one forgot that one too quickly, including the band.
Well, I think I've got enough writing out of my system for now. See you all next time.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Lately I've been really into an old Japanese bad that was formed for an anime in the late 1990's/ early 2000's. Called Lucifer. No, they are not devil worshipers. The literal translation of Lucifer is Fallen Angel (which is what the devil is called in the Bible, I know, but this is not from a Christian perspective. There are a lot of differences in the way demons and devils are viewed in Japan). The anime is based on the manga of the same name; "Kaikan Phrase" or "Sensual Phrase" by a mangaka called Shinjo, Mayu. The band in the manga is famous for writing songs with heavy sensual lyrics. It's a bit different in the anime, and the band was created to promote the anime. It's a hard rock style. The only problem is that I can't buy the album on iTunes! So, I have to find it on YouTube, I'm pretty grateful I can find it there, otherwise I'd never know how great they are. It's so frustrating. I've found ONE for sale, but, obviously it's from Japan. And a bit pricey. :( You can find Japanese songs and bands from the 1990's, just not this one yet. I think I'm starting to get some of the words down, it's kinda strange listing to a different language, not even a Latin based one at that. But, I really like the singer's voice, and the band is great. "Midnight Crow" might just be the best song.
When I was in high school I would have been completely in love with this band. They are right up the same alley as Great White (now I like Jack Russel's Great White), Poison, Motley Crue, White Lion, Tesla, ect. 1980's & 1990's hair band, hard rock. I would spend all my money on concert tickets and tour t-shirts. While all but one friend spent their money on name brands clothes, and made fun of me for buying my jeans from Goodwill, mine went to concerts. The one friend, my best friend from 8th grade and on (once I had kids, and she didn't, we didn't see each other as much, she got to keep spending money on concerts and I couldn't, but we still loved each other!), we probably went to 10 concerts a year, and since we lived in Milwaukee at the time, Summerfest! We were probably there 8 or 9 of the 11 days each year! It was a lot of fun. I hope that as my kids get older and flee the nest, I might get to go to some concerts again. Now though, I would attend more than one type of music concert. I'd hit as many as I could (except rap. Just don't like it.) No cheerleader, football game stories from me, it's all concert stories.
The best one I ever went to wasn't even a band I was too familiar with. It was a Summerfest performance by L.A. Guns. Great band, I just din't know too many of their songs. They put on a great show, but what was most memorable was the rain. About 2/3 of the way through the show, the sky opened up in thunder, and it started pouring. So, since it's an outside venue, the band said good night. Now, this place was jammed. Mikki (best friend's nick-name) and I were 2nd row center, and we were packed in like sardines. Literally standing sideways, front to back standing on the (wooden) bench. More people had smooshed their way into the space between the benches as well. Everyone there was just having a great time, and no one was ready for the concert to end, so we all started screaming over the rain. After about five mins, the band came back out and said, "if you guys are f**kin' crazy enough to stand out here, we're f**kin' crazy enough to keep playing for you!!" And they played for more than 30 more mins! During all this, of course everyone was jumping on the bench in rhythm to the music, and we broke the benches! Only the first two rows were still wooden, the rest were metal. The next time we were there (2 days later) they had replaced the benches with metal. It was just a blast. I'm sure no one forgot that one too quickly, including the band.
Well, I think I've got enough writing out of my system for now. See you all next time.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Where have I been?
Where have I been? Well, I was trying to deal with the blow that this country dealt. We have elected a bully to the highest office our country has. We now have a racist dictator for the President of the United States.
I am a conservative Christian. I believe the Bible in 100% perfect. I believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. I do not believe in hate. Jesus preached love.
I am not a Trump supporter.
"And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the GREATEST of these is LOVE"
--1 Corinthians 13:13
This year, there were two choices. Neither was good. One was not evil. One was. Good job U.S. You chose the wrong one. Yea, I know a lot of you out there disagree. I know most of you who voted for him think he's the better choice. You are entitled to your opinion.
What I don't get, is how anyone can listen to the man and not see. He wants to purify America. ?!?!?! Didn't another man say that nearly 80 years ago? He wants to build a wall? Berlin Wall... anyone??? Registering a sub-group of Americans, making them wear identification? REALLY! How do you not see? Since he has been elected, hate crimes have increased, maybe not too much -- YET.
I have stated that I am a conservative, dresses only, Bible believing Christian. I believe that Christianity is the only correct religion. But, and this is a BIG but; God gave us the gift of free will. And this country is suppose to support that. If you are Muslim, you are not a bad person. You are not a second class citizen. I am not afraid of someone because of their religion. Jesus said we are to love everyone. Not just those who are like us.
Because I believe the Bible is completely correct, I do not believe that God condones same sex relationships. That He created men to be men and women to be women. I do NOT believe that the government should decided who should and should not get married. I believe it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage, and since God does not recognize same sex marriages, it is a sin to have sex with someone who is your same gender. That doesn't stop God or Jesus from loving you. It's not my business who you have a relationship with. Frankly, I'd rather see someone in a committed, same sex relationship than someone who has sex with many different opposite gender people on a regular basis. Yes, it's a sin. Guess what? I'm a sinner too. I do all kinds of things that disappoints God. He still love me, He still loves you. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, GOD LOVES YOU! That's the message. And as far as this ridiculous bathroom thing; if someone believes themselves to be the opposite gender than what they were born, they have so many things going on in their lives, they are not someone you need to worry about. They just want to pee and get out of there. Get over yourselves, you wouldn't even know if someone IS opposite gender anyway. Just move on.
This world is so full of hate. Why can't we just stop? Because we are afraid of what we don't understand. This is the human condition. The thing is, you don't always have to be afraid of something/ someone who is different. Yes, there are times to be cautious. There are bad people out there. People who want to hurt you. Some are different than you, and some are just like you. How many serial killers have just been the guy next door? Almost all sexual assaults are by someone you know, and even, often, love.
This has been quite the ranting post. I know. And I know many people out there will not be happy with what I've said. People on both sides will be angry at me. But, go back and read it again. I might think that with what we call "alternate lifestyles" is sinning, but I have no problem with you. You are just different than me. If you treat me with respect and kindness, I will treat you the same. And if you don't, I'll still try to treat you with respect and kindness. That's what the Bible teaches us. LOVE EVERYONE! I will stand with those who just want their freedom to choose, as long as your choice is not based in hate.
And, if any transgender women want to use the woman's bathroom when I'm in there, feel free. I'll support your right to be who you want to be.
For the record, I am upset about who has been elected. But, I do not hate those who chose him. Most of the time I don't hate trump either. I am trying to practice what Jesus preached.In fact, I feel sorry for him, and everyone around him. I only hope that somehow love wins out over hate.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Monday, November 7, 2016
My Homeschooling Story
So, Monday again. How about a little more of my story. But what part? Last time was about my journey to Salvation. Oh, I know, how about why I started homeschooling? ok? Here we go....
Now, when I had my first baby, and I was sitting in the hospital bed, holding her, I thought to myself, "I wish I would never have to send you away from me, to daycare or school." At that time, (1993) homeschooling was legal, but I had no idea it existed. I think that's true for a lot of us.
Fast forward five years, I sent her to kindergarten. A full day one, because that was what was there. Yes, I cried. Sometime during that year, I heard of homeschooling. I was sold. She finished kindergarten, and I started to homeschool her and her 3 year old brother. At the start of the new year(2000), she was back in school. I was terrified of messing up. I was loosing my temper and yelling at her. I even spanked her once for not working. (Yes, I'm very ashamed of myself.) It's not an excuse, but I was so worried she wouldn't learn what she needed to. In 1999, there still wasn't much out there in support of homeschoolers, and, I foolishly didn't try to find a support group. I did have a name & number, but I didn't call. So, I gave up. If I couldn't spend the day without yelling, or loosing my temper, I had no right to have her at home all day.
School did not go over too well. I enrolled my next child, and we found out he has Asperger's. Back then, no one had even heard of it. There was ONE book out that wasn't a medical journal of some sort. I went down the checklist, he go 9 out of 10 for everything. I already knew something was off. I had heard of Autistic kids before, even met one, but I knew that wasn't it. I was glad to have an answer. So the public school (& privet doctors) did help out there. But still, things just weren't right. I had trouble with my children's teachers & principals - I wanted to be involved a lot more, they didn't like it. My daughter's second grade teacher actually told the kids a story about a black man who had recently been tied to two cars, and pulled apart. She told them the cars literally tore the man's arms & legs off!! This was a terrible hate crime, no argument there, but SEVEN years old is WAY, WAY to young to tell that kind of story to. I went in to talk to the principal, because I was so mad, I felt he should take care of this situation. I asked him to keep my name out of it, so Ky wouldn't have to deal with any repercussions. He didn't. I think I was home for 10 minutes, when the phone rang, and the teacher went off on me! Telling me I should have talked to her first, that I was a terrible person for talking to her boss, and that if I didn't want my daughter to hear that kind of story, I must be raciest! I ended up apologizing to her, she was so aggressive. I didn't back down that the story was inappropriate, but still accepted the blame. (but that's something else) The principal refused to move her to another class. She was treated a bit different after that, not too horrible, but it was still an issue. We ended up deciding to move and were able to switch her to a new school after a few months. yea.
New school, new school system. It was rated like #2 in our area. Good. Maybe now things will change. Her first teacher wasn't too bad. She liked me involved. I was pregnant w/ baby #3, and sick. Super sick. We also were down to one car, which my husband took to work. So, this teacher would call me after school so we could talk. I actually liked her. Jy's teacher had a notebook that went back and forth everyday. She didn't call as often, but we communicated every day. It was really hard for me to not be able to show my face regularly.
1st & 3rd grade: Jy ended up at a different school building because of his special needs. And Ky ended up with a completely burned out teacher. Jy was ok, but did have some trouble with the other students. Over all though, he was unaware of the picking on. His bigger thing was they were holding him back in work, he was bored with it, and because he couldn't sit still (ADHD too), they thought he couldn't do it. But this is where Ky's story gets sad.
Her 3rd grade teacher had 28 kids in her class, and NO HELPER! 3rd grade was when grades were started to be given out. Ky came home with all As. But all her papers were Fs. I tried over and over again to contact this teacher. I tried to set times to call, she would agree, but leave as soon as school was out. I tried to send notes, she wouldn't reply. I know Ky gave the notes to her, because when I managed to get my mom's car and drove in, her teacher told me she got them. She just didn't have time to reply! She told me she left early because she wasn't feeling good. I like to think she was just super burned out, and not just a horrible teacher. Then there were the kids in my daughter's class. There was one girl that had some of the same issues as my son, but the parents were in complete denial, and wouldn't do anything about it, and refused to let her be moved to special classroom. As a result, no one would play with her. Except my daughter. She was always like that. Wanted everyone included. I was proud of that. But, this girl had no control over her actions. She would get excited and pull on Ky, or push her down. Once she pushed Ky down the slide, backwards. Ky was terrified. She got a few bruises, and the school never let me know about it. Ky said she told her teacher, but the teacher did nothing. My husband and I went to school the next day. The solution was the little girl was not allowed to play with Ky for a month. And if Ky had any trouble, she was to go to the recess teachers and they were suppose to send her into her class room. It was fine for about 3 weeks. No trouble. Then when there was trouble, the recess teachers ignored her. Actually didn't even respond to her!
I was done. My 8 year old daughter had bags to half way down her cheeks (I'm not exaggerating!), she had tummy aches every morning, and she cried every night. She needed to come home. We couldn't afford privet school, so homeschooling was the only choice we had. I was really scared to mess up again. And my husband was outright against it this time. He finally agreed saying, "the sooner you pull her out, the sooner you'll put her back. And this is the last time." So, filled out our required forms, sent a note to the teach that after Easter break (it was March that year) she would not be coming back to school. With one week left, she finally told me about the little boy who sat across form her all year. Every day he would whisper awful things to her "you're worthless, you suck, you're stupid, you're dumb.." and such. When I questioned her, she told me she had tried to tell the teacher, but each time she raised her hand, the teacher would tell her to put it down. Wouldn't even ask what she needed. When she tried other times, the teacher just dismissed her each time. And when she tried to tell him to stop, she got scolded for talking. I offered to her to not finish that last week, she wanted to go to say bye to her friends. So, she finished out that week. I was watching kids for the Easter break, five of them, plus my 3! In a small apartment. There was a lot of activity that week. But, once everyone went back to school (my younger son included), she slept until noon for two straight weeks (still going to bed at 8). Now, this little girl decided at 2 that 6:00 am was a good time to get up, even though she wasn't going to bed until 11:00 (I had her on a second shift schedule on purpose - but once that started, it was first! LOL). That tells you how bad she had felt in that school. She went from being a sad, unhappy and crabby little girl, to out sweet and kind girl again. I was so happy.
The original plan was to leave Jy in school for 2nd grade, since he was doing ok. But, by the end of 1st, he was having more trouble than I thought he should. So, he finished 1st, but we brought him home after that.
The rest is history. We've happily homeschooled all these 15 years. And my husband became supportive after the end of that first summer. A couple of years into homeschooling, he told me "you're a much better homeschooling mother than you ever were school mother!" I did reach out this time and find a group. I think it made all the difference. It's not the same group I'm a member of now. That first one sort of ended, not with bad feelings though. But, I had a place to go, where other mom's who had been doing this longer and those who were new too, they could give me advice and support to keep it up. It's the biggest advice I give anyone who is wanting or new to homeschool; find a support group that works for you!
As for that little boy, I only feel sorry for him. And that's what I taught Ky to think about him too. They only way an eight year old boy says things like that, is because someone is saying them to him. I can only pray that things got better for him.
So, there's my homeschooling story. I tried to keep it short, but it's not really a short story, is it?
blessings,
mamaAthena
Now, when I had my first baby, and I was sitting in the hospital bed, holding her, I thought to myself, "I wish I would never have to send you away from me, to daycare or school." At that time, (1993) homeschooling was legal, but I had no idea it existed. I think that's true for a lot of us.
Fast forward five years, I sent her to kindergarten. A full day one, because that was what was there. Yes, I cried. Sometime during that year, I heard of homeschooling. I was sold. She finished kindergarten, and I started to homeschool her and her 3 year old brother. At the start of the new year(2000), she was back in school. I was terrified of messing up. I was loosing my temper and yelling at her. I even spanked her once for not working. (Yes, I'm very ashamed of myself.) It's not an excuse, but I was so worried she wouldn't learn what she needed to. In 1999, there still wasn't much out there in support of homeschoolers, and, I foolishly didn't try to find a support group. I did have a name & number, but I didn't call. So, I gave up. If I couldn't spend the day without yelling, or loosing my temper, I had no right to have her at home all day.
School did not go over too well. I enrolled my next child, and we found out he has Asperger's. Back then, no one had even heard of it. There was ONE book out that wasn't a medical journal of some sort. I went down the checklist, he go 9 out of 10 for everything. I already knew something was off. I had heard of Autistic kids before, even met one, but I knew that wasn't it. I was glad to have an answer. So the public school (& privet doctors) did help out there. But still, things just weren't right. I had trouble with my children's teachers & principals - I wanted to be involved a lot more, they didn't like it. My daughter's second grade teacher actually told the kids a story about a black man who had recently been tied to two cars, and pulled apart. She told them the cars literally tore the man's arms & legs off!! This was a terrible hate crime, no argument there, but SEVEN years old is WAY, WAY to young to tell that kind of story to. I went in to talk to the principal, because I was so mad, I felt he should take care of this situation. I asked him to keep my name out of it, so Ky wouldn't have to deal with any repercussions. He didn't. I think I was home for 10 minutes, when the phone rang, and the teacher went off on me! Telling me I should have talked to her first, that I was a terrible person for talking to her boss, and that if I didn't want my daughter to hear that kind of story, I must be raciest! I ended up apologizing to her, she was so aggressive. I didn't back down that the story was inappropriate, but still accepted the blame. (but that's something else) The principal refused to move her to another class. She was treated a bit different after that, not too horrible, but it was still an issue. We ended up deciding to move and were able to switch her to a new school after a few months. yea.
New school, new school system. It was rated like #2 in our area. Good. Maybe now things will change. Her first teacher wasn't too bad. She liked me involved. I was pregnant w/ baby #3, and sick. Super sick. We also were down to one car, which my husband took to work. So, this teacher would call me after school so we could talk. I actually liked her. Jy's teacher had a notebook that went back and forth everyday. She didn't call as often, but we communicated every day. It was really hard for me to not be able to show my face regularly.
1st & 3rd grade: Jy ended up at a different school building because of his special needs. And Ky ended up with a completely burned out teacher. Jy was ok, but did have some trouble with the other students. Over all though, he was unaware of the picking on. His bigger thing was they were holding him back in work, he was bored with it, and because he couldn't sit still (ADHD too), they thought he couldn't do it. But this is where Ky's story gets sad.
Her 3rd grade teacher had 28 kids in her class, and NO HELPER! 3rd grade was when grades were started to be given out. Ky came home with all As. But all her papers were Fs. I tried over and over again to contact this teacher. I tried to set times to call, she would agree, but leave as soon as school was out. I tried to send notes, she wouldn't reply. I know Ky gave the notes to her, because when I managed to get my mom's car and drove in, her teacher told me she got them. She just didn't have time to reply! She told me she left early because she wasn't feeling good. I like to think she was just super burned out, and not just a horrible teacher. Then there were the kids in my daughter's class. There was one girl that had some of the same issues as my son, but the parents were in complete denial, and wouldn't do anything about it, and refused to let her be moved to special classroom. As a result, no one would play with her. Except my daughter. She was always like that. Wanted everyone included. I was proud of that. But, this girl had no control over her actions. She would get excited and pull on Ky, or push her down. Once she pushed Ky down the slide, backwards. Ky was terrified. She got a few bruises, and the school never let me know about it. Ky said she told her teacher, but the teacher did nothing. My husband and I went to school the next day. The solution was the little girl was not allowed to play with Ky for a month. And if Ky had any trouble, she was to go to the recess teachers and they were suppose to send her into her class room. It was fine for about 3 weeks. No trouble. Then when there was trouble, the recess teachers ignored her. Actually didn't even respond to her!
I was done. My 8 year old daughter had bags to half way down her cheeks (I'm not exaggerating!), she had tummy aches every morning, and she cried every night. She needed to come home. We couldn't afford privet school, so homeschooling was the only choice we had. I was really scared to mess up again. And my husband was outright against it this time. He finally agreed saying, "the sooner you pull her out, the sooner you'll put her back. And this is the last time." So, filled out our required forms, sent a note to the teach that after Easter break (it was March that year) she would not be coming back to school. With one week left, she finally told me about the little boy who sat across form her all year. Every day he would whisper awful things to her "you're worthless, you suck, you're stupid, you're dumb.." and such. When I questioned her, she told me she had tried to tell the teacher, but each time she raised her hand, the teacher would tell her to put it down. Wouldn't even ask what she needed. When she tried other times, the teacher just dismissed her each time. And when she tried to tell him to stop, she got scolded for talking. I offered to her to not finish that last week, she wanted to go to say bye to her friends. So, she finished out that week. I was watching kids for the Easter break, five of them, plus my 3! In a small apartment. There was a lot of activity that week. But, once everyone went back to school (my younger son included), she slept until noon for two straight weeks (still going to bed at 8). Now, this little girl decided at 2 that 6:00 am was a good time to get up, even though she wasn't going to bed until 11:00 (I had her on a second shift schedule on purpose - but once that started, it was first! LOL). That tells you how bad she had felt in that school. She went from being a sad, unhappy and crabby little girl, to out sweet and kind girl again. I was so happy.
The original plan was to leave Jy in school for 2nd grade, since he was doing ok. But, by the end of 1st, he was having more trouble than I thought he should. So, he finished 1st, but we brought him home after that.
The rest is history. We've happily homeschooled all these 15 years. And my husband became supportive after the end of that first summer. A couple of years into homeschooling, he told me "you're a much better homeschooling mother than you ever were school mother!" I did reach out this time and find a group. I think it made all the difference. It's not the same group I'm a member of now. That first one sort of ended, not with bad feelings though. But, I had a place to go, where other mom's who had been doing this longer and those who were new too, they could give me advice and support to keep it up. It's the biggest advice I give anyone who is wanting or new to homeschool; find a support group that works for you!
As for that little boy, I only feel sorry for him. And that's what I taught Ky to think about him too. They only way an eight year old boy says things like that, is because someone is saying them to him. I can only pray that things got better for him.
So, there's my homeschooling story. I tried to keep it short, but it's not really a short story, is it?
blessings,
mamaAthena
Saturday, November 5, 2016
gift of boredom.
I actually have some spare time on a Saturday afternoon! I'm shocked. Ok, so maybe I don't really have any spare time, I'm just choosing to take some spare time and play on my computer, looking up old favorite songs on YouTube (a few new favorites too). Man, late '80s & early '90s hairbands had a lot of... hair! Still good music. Some favorites; Poison, Motley Crue (they just finished up their last tour, ever:( wish I could have went to see them one more time), Skid Row, Great White, could keep going on, but I won't.
Found a new band, well, I don't think they are actually new, but new to me, called Glay. It's a bad from Japan, so I can only sing the lyrics they have in English. But they're great to listen to anyway. I do take the time to look up the translations, and the songs are really good. If you like hard rock, check them out.
I should be outside working on getting our yard "winter ready." But, sometimes you just have to sit back and do nothing. I think we forget that in our society today. The importance of doing nothing important.
I think as a homeschooling mom, I know how important it is for my kids to do nothing. Kids need time to just be. Allowing them time, when they are younger, to have nothing to do, let's them develop their imaginations. "Bionicals & Barbies" (this was a favorite game of my older 2 where the Barbies were taken prisoner in the toy castle by the Bionicals, then Ken and Buzz Lightyear would have to rescue them, it was quite funny to watch, I think they started that at 7 & 9) would have never come about if my kids hadn't gotten bored. "Three-girl & Six-boy" was the younger 2's favorite. In fact, right after I started homeschooling, when Ky or Jy would come tell me they were bored, I'd say "good." and walk away. It really confused them at first, but after awhile, they figured out they had to find something to do on their own. Flash forward to when they were a little older, if they came to complain they were bored, I'd give them a gross chore, like cat litter box cleaning or scrubbing toilets. I never really had too many complaints about being bored. Jk & Kt figured out that being bored was a good thing, since it meant you could go do what you wanted.
When kids are older, preteens & teens, they are still developing their imaginations, but more than that, they are forming who they are. Time to think about what is important to them, what they want to be, what they want from life, are all really important things to think about. And they need time to do that. If kids are always on the go, they don't have time to do that. Then they start becoming what others tell them to be, not who God wants them to be, who they are comfortable being. I've noticed that when kids start becoming what others want, that's when they rebel -- hard. All kids rebel, they need to. But watching different t.v. shows, liking different music, that kind of rebelling is good. Drugs and sex, that's hard rebelling, and none of us wants that for our kids. That's a long hard road to travel.
So be sure to take the time to give your kids bored times. Even if it means not signing up for that class. Give them the gift of boredom.
So, for me personally, even though there is a bunch of stuff I should be doing right now, none of is actually pressing, so I'm taking some time to walk down memory lane and enjoy some good tunes, even if hair was a bit too big. :) I can always work tomorrow. And if tomorrow never comes, I won't be sad about how I spent my last afternoon.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Found a new band, well, I don't think they are actually new, but new to me, called Glay. It's a bad from Japan, so I can only sing the lyrics they have in English. But they're great to listen to anyway. I do take the time to look up the translations, and the songs are really good. If you like hard rock, check them out.
I should be outside working on getting our yard "winter ready." But, sometimes you just have to sit back and do nothing. I think we forget that in our society today. The importance of doing nothing important.
I think as a homeschooling mom, I know how important it is for my kids to do nothing. Kids need time to just be. Allowing them time, when they are younger, to have nothing to do, let's them develop their imaginations. "Bionicals & Barbies" (this was a favorite game of my older 2 where the Barbies were taken prisoner in the toy castle by the Bionicals, then Ken and Buzz Lightyear would have to rescue them, it was quite funny to watch, I think they started that at 7 & 9) would have never come about if my kids hadn't gotten bored. "Three-girl & Six-boy" was the younger 2's favorite. In fact, right after I started homeschooling, when Ky or Jy would come tell me they were bored, I'd say "good." and walk away. It really confused them at first, but after awhile, they figured out they had to find something to do on their own. Flash forward to when they were a little older, if they came to complain they were bored, I'd give them a gross chore, like cat litter box cleaning or scrubbing toilets. I never really had too many complaints about being bored. Jk & Kt figured out that being bored was a good thing, since it meant you could go do what you wanted.
When kids are older, preteens & teens, they are still developing their imaginations, but more than that, they are forming who they are. Time to think about what is important to them, what they want to be, what they want from life, are all really important things to think about. And they need time to do that. If kids are always on the go, they don't have time to do that. Then they start becoming what others tell them to be, not who God wants them to be, who they are comfortable being. I've noticed that when kids start becoming what others want, that's when they rebel -- hard. All kids rebel, they need to. But watching different t.v. shows, liking different music, that kind of rebelling is good. Drugs and sex, that's hard rebelling, and none of us wants that for our kids. That's a long hard road to travel.
So be sure to take the time to give your kids bored times. Even if it means not signing up for that class. Give them the gift of boredom.
So, for me personally, even though there is a bunch of stuff I should be doing right now, none of is actually pressing, so I'm taking some time to walk down memory lane and enjoy some good tunes, even if hair was a bit too big. :) I can always work tomorrow. And if tomorrow never comes, I won't be sad about how I spent my last afternoon.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Thoughtful Thursday
Today is confession day. Lately, I have been feeling lost, apathetic, stressed, the list could go on and on. Yes, it's pretty normal for a homeschooling mom, I KNOW you've all had that feeling. But just today, I think I've figured out at least one of the reasons I've been "off." I really haven't been reading my Bible much.
We all go through times where we read it everyday, for 30-60 minutes, and times where days go by and we don't read at all. Life is always getting in the way (not just for this, but for everything else we "should" be doing). But I don't thing I've actually picked up my Bible for 3 or more weeks. :( That's just too long, especially considering we do not have a church right now. We've been looking for about a year and a half, after leaving our previous one. Thought we found one this summer, but the head pastor believes that "the message" version of the Bible is a good version. That just doesn't sit with me, so, it was a no go for us. But, I digress.
So, this morning I was reading my homeschool support group's monthly newsletter, and the editor quoted Philippians 4:4-9 and I was blown away. It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear today! She had posted the newsletter on 10/24, but I didn't get to reading it until today. Why? Why did I sit down and read the newsletter today? Why did she choose that verse to put in? The answer is simple, God knew what I needed, and when I needed it. Even in such a small matter as this, He has a hand.
The message I get from this, is it's time to grab that Bible again, and start reading. The answers I seek are to be found within the pages of that Holy book. So, when I post this, I'm picking it up and reading it. Even if I only have 10 minutes. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but He never ceases to amaze me. I am always surprised at how much he love me, a seemingly unimportant person in the world right now. However, I am reminded of something I heard on a Doctor Who episode, that I think is 110% true: "There is nothing as important in this world as an average person." It's the little things we do that matter, and God makes sure of that.
Have you hit a time of not reading your Bible? Pick it up again. Go ahead, you won't be disappointed.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Tuesday Tips & Tricks
Tuesday Tips
My tip for this week is for school organization. Now, I'm down to only two kids and their approximate grades are 7th & 10th. So, it's not too big a challenge to keep their school stuff organized anymore. But back in the day, when all four were homeschooled (and prehomeschooled) I used a lot of different methods to keep things going as smoothly as it could in a household like ours. (with such a large range of -- stuff is the best word really-- things changed a lot around here)One of the best things I tried and was successful at for a few years was having each child have a "school box." I don't mean those little pencil cases, but a box that was 4x the size of those standard ones you can get for $1. Each school aged kid got one, I wrote their name on it with permanent marker, and then they got to decorate it with stickers (I've always been big on the kids "making it their own," Helps the pre (and not so good) readers know who's is who's, and it's just fun to decorate things - especially with stickers.
Next, we filled the boxes with all their supplies they needed for the year. Pencils, pens, crayons, rulers, ect. And extras of each as well. I kept them in shelf in our dining room/ school area (at that time ;), and when it was time to work, they just grabbed their boxes and sat down. When they needed to work on their own at different times/ places, they could again just grab the box. Everything they needed was right there. they also grabbed them when they just wanted to color or do crafts.
The toughest thing was to make sure they put everything back inside when done. But, even if they forgot something, it wasn't too hard to put it away later. The boxes were easy access.
The kids were 14, 12, 6 and 3 at the time. So, each box had something different in it. The high-schooler had a calculator, and the 6 year old had extra glue sticks. The 3 year old didn't have a big box, she had a whole different set up -- Ill talk about that later. We didn't keep work in them, just the supplies.
We used those boxes for about 2 &1/2 years. I stopped because we reorganized things (I do that a lot) and I just decided that there wasn't a good way to make them easy to access, so there wasn't much point to them anymore. So, I re-purposed them to hold extra crayons, markers ect for the craft classes I like to teach at our homeschool co-op. Then the kids don't have to worry about their personal stuff getting lost or broke. Still in use that way today.
Wish I had more time today, but since we were all so sick the last week and a half, I've got a ton to do. Hope this idea can help you organize your space. Got any suggestions? Comment away.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Friday, October 28, 2016
Friday Grateful Five
It's time now for.... Friday Grateful Five!
I think I need this today.
So, five things I'm grateful for. Not so easy this week since I've been sick and the kids are now getting sick, YUCK! And, with this cold, I've not been able to sleep laying down like normal, so I've not been getting the rest to recover, and my back and neck are killing me. Ok, not killing me, but it's getting pretty bad. Of course it would be bad for anyone, but I slipped a disk about 3 years ago. I mean, really slipped it. The doctor told me I shouldn't have been able to be walking (I still was, super slow and carefully, but still walking). He wanted to do surgery. I was very anti surgery. Said flat out no. Ended up at a pain clinic and got a different kind of PT. With the PT and a cortisone shot (or 6), I'm mostly out of pain. There are days where there is no pain in my back at all! So, guess I've got my first 'grateful' thing.
1. My Physical Therapists
These two women are absolutely outstanding. The way they do it is not your normal way of lifting weights and repetitive exercises. It's sort of like a massage. Like a cross between PT, massage and chiropractors. There's no snapping bones, they manipulate your spine and mussels to go back to where they are suppose to be. i had one exercise to do daily, and that was it. At the time I was really bad, and seeing them 2x a week, they accepted insurance. Now, they have stopped accepting it and work on a donation base completely. Both women are Christians, and want to help those who can't pay. Super grateful for them both.
2. Cortisone Shots
I know, a lot of people are not crazy about them. But I am. The shots reduced the swelling in my disk, making it go back where it needed to be, without cutting it out. That's a win for me.
3. Toasted Cheese Sandwiches
Or, grilled cheese if you will. I just think toasted cheese sounds neater. Yep, these little babies are great. You can have a lot of fun with them, trying different bread, cheese or add ins. Right now I love using English Muffin bread with Colby-jack. You know, I only discovered making different kinds from good old american and white bread, recently. Wonder why it took me so long, I've been making them since I was 7. Go ahead, give it a try, go crazy!
4. Conditioned Air
So, I did indoor plumbing, now it's conditioned air. No, not just cooling air, but heating as well. Gone are the days of fire being the way to heat a house. Just flip a switch to hot or cool, set a temp and there you go. Air that has been conditioned to what you want.
5. Decongestant Pills
The little red ones that you have to use your licence to get, to be exact. "Wall-phed" is usually what we have. They are the best for me when allergies or colds get me. They dry the junk right up. And don't make me sleepy! I would have been so much more miserable without them this last week. Yea drugs!
So, I did come up with five, not too difficult. There really are so many things to be grateful for. I'm glad I'm taking the time to type them out, it's a good reminder for me.
blessings
mamaAthena
I think I need this today.
So, five things I'm grateful for. Not so easy this week since I've been sick and the kids are now getting sick, YUCK! And, with this cold, I've not been able to sleep laying down like normal, so I've not been getting the rest to recover, and my back and neck are killing me. Ok, not killing me, but it's getting pretty bad. Of course it would be bad for anyone, but I slipped a disk about 3 years ago. I mean, really slipped it. The doctor told me I shouldn't have been able to be walking (I still was, super slow and carefully, but still walking). He wanted to do surgery. I was very anti surgery. Said flat out no. Ended up at a pain clinic and got a different kind of PT. With the PT and a cortisone shot (or 6), I'm mostly out of pain. There are days where there is no pain in my back at all! So, guess I've got my first 'grateful' thing.
1. My Physical Therapists
These two women are absolutely outstanding. The way they do it is not your normal way of lifting weights and repetitive exercises. It's sort of like a massage. Like a cross between PT, massage and chiropractors. There's no snapping bones, they manipulate your spine and mussels to go back to where they are suppose to be. i had one exercise to do daily, and that was it. At the time I was really bad, and seeing them 2x a week, they accepted insurance. Now, they have stopped accepting it and work on a donation base completely. Both women are Christians, and want to help those who can't pay. Super grateful for them both.
2. Cortisone Shots
I know, a lot of people are not crazy about them. But I am. The shots reduced the swelling in my disk, making it go back where it needed to be, without cutting it out. That's a win for me.
3. Toasted Cheese Sandwiches
Or, grilled cheese if you will. I just think toasted cheese sounds neater. Yep, these little babies are great. You can have a lot of fun with them, trying different bread, cheese or add ins. Right now I love using English Muffin bread with Colby-jack. You know, I only discovered making different kinds from good old american and white bread, recently. Wonder why it took me so long, I've been making them since I was 7. Go ahead, give it a try, go crazy!
4. Conditioned Air
So, I did indoor plumbing, now it's conditioned air. No, not just cooling air, but heating as well. Gone are the days of fire being the way to heat a house. Just flip a switch to hot or cool, set a temp and there you go. Air that has been conditioned to what you want.
5. Decongestant Pills
The little red ones that you have to use your licence to get, to be exact. "Wall-phed" is usually what we have. They are the best for me when allergies or colds get me. They dry the junk right up. And don't make me sleepy! I would have been so much more miserable without them this last week. Yea drugs!
So, I did come up with five, not too difficult. There really are so many things to be grateful for. I'm glad I'm taking the time to type them out, it's a good reminder for me.
blessings
mamaAthena
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Thoughtful Thursday
Why Me?
Ever ask yourself that? Of course you have. We all have. Why me? Why did that have to happen to me? What did I do to deserve that? It can be phrased in so many different ways that I would be sitting here for days on end if I tried to type them all up.
Here's the simple answer... why not? That's right. Why shouldn't it happen to you? It might suck, and not be fair at all. 'Anybody who says life is fair is selling something.' (recognize the quote?) Life's not fair. The things that happen to us are not because we are bad or good. God doesn't work that way. Things happen because they happen. Yes, there are some things He had planned out in the beginning, and have, do and will come true. But, the day to day living we do, well, that's just life.
God does not make bad things happen to punish people. No. He doesn't. God is love. At one time he did punish people, He was trying to get them to understand what they needed to do. But, all that changed when He sent His son Jesus, to us. Jesus took ALL the punishments. Each and every one that we should be receiving. If God still sent down punishments onto us, that would be like Him saying that Jesus' death wasn't good enough. He's taking it all back and we now have to pay for our sins. Never read that in the Bible.
No, God doesn't make bad things happen. However, he does use those bad things and turn them into good things. We usually don't see right away the good that comes from what we suffer. It can take months, years, even a lifetime, before we actually see how God turned that terrible thing into something good. He knows what's going to happen. Like an earthly parent, he has the knowledge we don't have. He knows what choice we will make, and if it's a bad one, he really hopes we won't make it. But the gift of freewill is absolute. It's our mistake to make.
There's this great song out there, only a couple of years old called "Blessings." The gist of the song is summed up in two lines: "what if our blessings come through raindrops, what if our healing comes through tears?" Usually we don't pay much attention to God when things are going fine and dandy. We only cry out to Him when things go wrong. He uses the "why me" moments to show His love for you. Because, He wants you to know He loves you. He really does. He gave us a book that tells us over and over again how much He loves us. He sent His Son with a message of love for us. God is love. I'm not the first to make that statement, and I highly doubt I'll be the last. (I really hope I'm not the last.)
So, the next time you think "why me?" Stop and think, "why not?" Then step back and see if what is happening now can be used for good later. You might just see it, and once you do, it's a lot easier to deal with the situation right then. And while you're at it, stop and thank Him for the days when things are going right as well.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
My Story on a Whatever Wednesday
Hi! Did you miss me? Where was I? I would love, love, love to tell you I was on a tropical island where there was no wi-fi. But, no, the island had wi-fi. I was just lazy. ;) No, that's not true either. I was sick. Really, really sick. Just a nasty head cold, but bad enough to keep me couch-bound and barely able to watch TV even. It hit me really hard, since it was actually the 1st time in 13 months that I actually got sick! That is unheard of with me. I have a weak immune system. And I get sicker than others do with the same virus. So, this past year, no colds/ flues/ stomach viruses, way strange. But, I was very happy to be healthy for so long. The down side was that when I finally did get sick, I was much more miserable than I would have been with a few colds in between. Oh well, on the mend now, nearly better. So, my "whatever Wednesday" will continue my personal Salvation story.
So, I left off where I decided to leave the Catholic church in 2002.
The next six years were marked by becoming pregnant with child number four (When I get pregnant, I get sick. I don't mean a little sick, I mean really, really sick. With that last pregnancy, I was in a group of less than 1% of less than 1%, but that's another story), two moves, the second one was into the first house we've ever bought (still here...) - an adventure in it's self. Also, finding a new homeschooling group where we moved to. I was running one, but it was small and it became one of those, everyone is happy to be a part of it, if they don't have to help. So, I needed a new one. When I found a nice sized local group, it happened to be a Christian group. You didn't need to be Christian to join, but could not do anything against or anti-Christian. That was fine with me. I was Christian, sort of . I often explain to others how, I knew all about Jesus, but I didn't know Jesus. I didn't know there was a difference back then.
In 2007 I joined the group and started going to meetings and joined in on the co-op classes. We are fortunate enough to have a couple of churches who let us use their buildings during the week and are able to have a nursery for the teacher's younger kids, if they'd like to drop them off. It's a good place to visit as well. I volunteered to help out in there and ended up in many conversations about God. At the same time I was tuning into the local VCY station. It's a Christian, mostly talk, radio station. "Revive Our Hearts," "Cross Talk" and other programs like that are aired daily/weekly. Some of the shows I liked to tune into was about personal Salvation stories. People would tell their stories in story form, one program dramatized them.
So, flash forward a little over a year. October 2008. One woman in particular invites me to her Assembly of God church, I go. Other women talk about how Jesus touches their lives, I listen. And I'm spending more time listening to the Christian radio station than I am watching tv.
There were a lot of things going on at this time. Things that I might talk about in the future, we'll see. But, a lot of just, junk - is the best way to describe it. I was in a pretty low place, and I was trying so hard to find a way to climb out. Everything I had done in the past hadn't worked, what could I try next?
Then, late that night, I was driving home, alone, and I had the radio on. Someone was talking about their journey, how once they accepted Jesus, how great their life became. How much it changed. Their story was really close to mine. I was crying. No, I was bawling, rather loudly, sobbing. I cried a lot when I listened to the stories, but just a quiet tear or two, not sobs. I had had it. I was so tired of feeling lost, alone, scared. I wanted what those people had. I wanted to be saved. I wasn't sure that they were being truthful, or if they were, they had to be exaggerating.
At that time, I didn't care. I turned off the radio, and just started crying out, screaming really.
"OK GOD! LET'S SEE IT! PROVE IT! JESUS, I ACCEPT YOU AS GOD'S SON! PLEASE COME INTO MY HEART AND SAVE ME!"
It was like a flash of light hit me. As soon as the word "me" slipped out of my mouth, I felt warm, from the inside out. It was a warm, soft, glow of love, just pulsed through my. It started at my heart, and spread throughout my whole body. I pulled over, and just sat there and cried silently. But, it wasn't a sad cry anymore. It was a happy cry. Everything changed right then. In that one second, I wasn't alone anymore. There was someone there who loved me. No matter what I did, do, have done. He loves me. I never felt that before. I could feel Him in every part of me.
I was saved.
I don't know how long I sat there, crying on the side of the road. It couldn't have been very long, since I wasn't particularly late getting home. But, I was different. Everything was so very different.
That's it. That's my story. I didn't find a church until after the new year. I had a Bible or two at home, and I did start reading them right away. But sometime in February, I bought a Bible for me. Then, I really began to read. It was a simple brown leather Bible I got for less than ten dollars. I have since got a pink (as pink is the best color) one that I now use, but still have that first one I bought for myself, and all the notes of my first year or two of my journey with Jesus.
I'd love to hear your stories. Tell them in the comments or add alink to your page.
blessings,
mamaAthena
So, I left off where I decided to leave the Catholic church in 2002.
The next six years were marked by becoming pregnant with child number four (When I get pregnant, I get sick. I don't mean a little sick, I mean really, really sick. With that last pregnancy, I was in a group of less than 1% of less than 1%, but that's another story), two moves, the second one was into the first house we've ever bought (still here...) - an adventure in it's self. Also, finding a new homeschooling group where we moved to. I was running one, but it was small and it became one of those, everyone is happy to be a part of it, if they don't have to help. So, I needed a new one. When I found a nice sized local group, it happened to be a Christian group. You didn't need to be Christian to join, but could not do anything against or anti-Christian. That was fine with me. I was Christian, sort of . I often explain to others how, I knew all about Jesus, but I didn't know Jesus. I didn't know there was a difference back then.
In 2007 I joined the group and started going to meetings and joined in on the co-op classes. We are fortunate enough to have a couple of churches who let us use their buildings during the week and are able to have a nursery for the teacher's younger kids, if they'd like to drop them off. It's a good place to visit as well. I volunteered to help out in there and ended up in many conversations about God. At the same time I was tuning into the local VCY station. It's a Christian, mostly talk, radio station. "Revive Our Hearts," "Cross Talk" and other programs like that are aired daily/weekly. Some of the shows I liked to tune into was about personal Salvation stories. People would tell their stories in story form, one program dramatized them.
So, flash forward a little over a year. October 2008. One woman in particular invites me to her Assembly of God church, I go. Other women talk about how Jesus touches their lives, I listen. And I'm spending more time listening to the Christian radio station than I am watching tv.
There were a lot of things going on at this time. Things that I might talk about in the future, we'll see. But, a lot of just, junk - is the best way to describe it. I was in a pretty low place, and I was trying so hard to find a way to climb out. Everything I had done in the past hadn't worked, what could I try next?
Then, late that night, I was driving home, alone, and I had the radio on. Someone was talking about their journey, how once they accepted Jesus, how great their life became. How much it changed. Their story was really close to mine. I was crying. No, I was bawling, rather loudly, sobbing. I cried a lot when I listened to the stories, but just a quiet tear or two, not sobs. I had had it. I was so tired of feeling lost, alone, scared. I wanted what those people had. I wanted to be saved. I wasn't sure that they were being truthful, or if they were, they had to be exaggerating.
At that time, I didn't care. I turned off the radio, and just started crying out, screaming really.
"OK GOD! LET'S SEE IT! PROVE IT! JESUS, I ACCEPT YOU AS GOD'S SON! PLEASE COME INTO MY HEART AND SAVE ME!"
It was like a flash of light hit me. As soon as the word "me" slipped out of my mouth, I felt warm, from the inside out. It was a warm, soft, glow of love, just pulsed through my. It started at my heart, and spread throughout my whole body. I pulled over, and just sat there and cried silently. But, it wasn't a sad cry anymore. It was a happy cry. Everything changed right then. In that one second, I wasn't alone anymore. There was someone there who loved me. No matter what I did, do, have done. He loves me. I never felt that before. I could feel Him in every part of me.
I was saved.
I don't know how long I sat there, crying on the side of the road. It couldn't have been very long, since I wasn't particularly late getting home. But, I was different. Everything was so very different.
That's it. That's my story. I didn't find a church until after the new year. I had a Bible or two at home, and I did start reading them right away. But sometime in February, I bought a Bible for me. Then, I really began to read. It was a simple brown leather Bible I got for less than ten dollars. I have since got a pink (as pink is the best color) one that I now use, but still have that first one I bought for myself, and all the notes of my first year or two of my journey with Jesus.
I'd love to hear your stories. Tell them in the comments or add alink to your page.
blessings,
mamaAthena
Friday, October 21, 2016
Friday Grateful Five
It's Friday again! Already! Where did my week go? Well, it's time again for five things I'm grateful for.
1. Spellcheck.
Where would I be with out that little gem? I am a horrible speller. Really, I can not spell. Which is sort of strange since I have always been a good and frequent reader. Heck, when I was in 5th grade, I read the dictionary. One of those big ones they keep on stand in the back of the classroom. No,really. Everyday after finishing my work, which never took too long, I would head back and read it. I'm sure I missed a page here or there, but I did keep track of the page I left off on. And before you ask, I do not remember much, but when I encounter a new English word, a lot of times I feel like I've read it somewhere before. But spelling correctly? Not me. I've already used spellcheck 7 times!
2. Chapstick.
What would we, in the mid-west, do in the winter without it? Have perpetually chapped lips is what. I pretty much do anyway (as I'm bad at putting it on daily), but at least I can relieve the irritating feeling when I do remember.
3. A roof over my head.
Even if it really needs to be replaced, it's still a roof and keeps out the rain, snow, & sun pretty good. I just finished up the Jaycee Dugard story and it's a good reminder of how nice it is to have a real roof. After years of imprisonment, she was super happy to have her own privet tent. Being in California, a tent wasn't as bad as it would have been here (again, mid-west), but still. To be thankful for a tent roof... I'm really glad I have a house roof.
4. carseats for babies/kids
They can be a pain to get kids in and out of. And I know there are times I wish I could just let them play around in the back without being restrained in. But, when looking at the other picture, I'm glad we have found out how much safer it is for kids to be belted into one. I remember being in highschool and watching a video on why kids should be in a child's carseat. They took this 6foot-something, big mussely guy and seat-belted him to a car seat. Just what you would find in an actual car, only this was just the seat and it was on a track, kind of like a train track. Then they gave the guy a dummy-doll that was the same as an average two year old, so about 30lbs-ish. The man then held onto the dummy while the track got the seat up to 35 mph and then "slammed on the breaks." The dummy flew more than 30 feet! I'm not sure a windshield would have slowed the kid down much. Now think about this, that man could squeeze the kids as hard as he could (they did tell him to not let the dummy go, no matter what), we can't do that with a real child, and I know I'm not as strong as he was. So, how far would out little ones go? I for one am grateful to never find out. So, hug your kids at home, belt them in the car!
5. Netflix
We did away with cable, 6 or 7 years ago, and I only miss Turner Classic Movies, the history channel and Sci-fi (but only for new Doctor Who episodes). I had given Netflix a free try, and have been very happy since. I'd say it was about 4 months after getting Netflix that we dropped cable, at the time saving ourselves $80! Shows when we want them, no commercials, it's great!
There's my five this week. I knew I could come up with more. I wonder when it'll be had to find things to be grateful for...
blessings,
mamaAthena
1. Spellcheck.
Where would I be with out that little gem? I am a horrible speller. Really, I can not spell. Which is sort of strange since I have always been a good and frequent reader. Heck, when I was in 5th grade, I read the dictionary. One of those big ones they keep on stand in the back of the classroom. No,really. Everyday after finishing my work, which never took too long, I would head back and read it. I'm sure I missed a page here or there, but I did keep track of the page I left off on. And before you ask, I do not remember much, but when I encounter a new English word, a lot of times I feel like I've read it somewhere before. But spelling correctly? Not me. I've already used spellcheck 7 times!
2. Chapstick.
What would we, in the mid-west, do in the winter without it? Have perpetually chapped lips is what. I pretty much do anyway (as I'm bad at putting it on daily), but at least I can relieve the irritating feeling when I do remember.
3. A roof over my head.
Even if it really needs to be replaced, it's still a roof and keeps out the rain, snow, & sun pretty good. I just finished up the Jaycee Dugard story and it's a good reminder of how nice it is to have a real roof. After years of imprisonment, she was super happy to have her own privet tent. Being in California, a tent wasn't as bad as it would have been here (again, mid-west), but still. To be thankful for a tent roof... I'm really glad I have a house roof.
4. carseats for babies/kids
They can be a pain to get kids in and out of. And I know there are times I wish I could just let them play around in the back without being restrained in. But, when looking at the other picture, I'm glad we have found out how much safer it is for kids to be belted into one. I remember being in highschool and watching a video on why kids should be in a child's carseat. They took this 6foot-something, big mussely guy and seat-belted him to a car seat. Just what you would find in an actual car, only this was just the seat and it was on a track, kind of like a train track. Then they gave the guy a dummy-doll that was the same as an average two year old, so about 30lbs-ish. The man then held onto the dummy while the track got the seat up to 35 mph and then "slammed on the breaks." The dummy flew more than 30 feet! I'm not sure a windshield would have slowed the kid down much. Now think about this, that man could squeeze the kids as hard as he could (they did tell him to not let the dummy go, no matter what), we can't do that with a real child, and I know I'm not as strong as he was. So, how far would out little ones go? I for one am grateful to never find out. So, hug your kids at home, belt them in the car!
5. Netflix
We did away with cable, 6 or 7 years ago, and I only miss Turner Classic Movies, the history channel and Sci-fi (but only for new Doctor Who episodes). I had given Netflix a free try, and have been very happy since. I'd say it was about 4 months after getting Netflix that we dropped cable, at the time saving ourselves $80! Shows when we want them, no commercials, it's great!
There's my five this week. I knew I could come up with more. I wonder when it'll be had to find things to be grateful for...
blessings,
mamaAthena
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Thoughtful Thursday
See, my daily theme continues with "Thoughtful Thursday." I figure this one is pretty self-explanatory.
This past summer, I had to ask myself if I should attend a Bible study this fall/winter/spring. For the last 3 years I have attended a really nice one (not from my home church) after a friend invited me. It took a couple of years before I finally found the time to say yes.
It was (still is) a non-denominational Christian Bible Study. The only thing you needed to believe is that Jesus is your Savior. They also had a nursery to age 2 & a preschool Bible story time, complete with crafts. There was no fee or donation asked for, and we had nice little booklets for each semester that focused on a particular topic. The books were great, the discussion groups were lively and educational. We even started off with songs each week. And there were a few potluck lunches each year. A really great community over all. I really enjoyed it the first two years, and made sure I could make the study each week, even making sure doctor appointments wouldn't interfere. It was also nice to see my friend each week.
However, this past summer, after much thought and prayer, I decided that I could not attend this year. There are a lot of reasons behind my decision. One of them is that Jy started the local technical collage and he would need a lot of help in navigating through it, as well as with homework. Another one was that I didn't feel quite as welcome last year. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but I had some suspicions that it related to me sharing some of my personal journey to Jesus, and they didn't really understand. I can't be sure, but either way, I didn't feel as welcomed last year, so that made me reluctant to want to attend. I didn't let that be my deciding factor though.
The final reason I decided not to attend this year was that I just needed more time at home. I need more time to commit to the two kids I'm still homeschooling, to cleaning and organizing (I've spent most of the 10 years living here sick or injured, making for quite a mess in stuff!), and time for my husband. A few years ago I sat down and looked back on a previous month, I had not spent ONE ENTIRE DAY just at home. For 30 days I had been out of the house for at least 2/3 hours a day! For a full time house wife, stay at home, homeschooling mom, that was a bit much! Yes, everyone suffered a bit. And back then, I was homeschooling all four kids! I was exhausted, and felt unwell all the time. No Wonder! I dubbed my self not a "homeschooling mom" but a "RALACWIHCO mom" (running around like a chicken with it's head cut off mom)! It was crazy and so were we. After that, I made sure we spent at least one WHOLE day at home each week. This past summer, I saw that, if I didn't do something different, it would be like that again, and quickly.
So, I made the decision that I needed to give up something to be a better wife & mother. And this was the one thing I could give up. I need to still take care of doctor appointments, and the kids need things like our co-op classes, but I can study the Bible at home. And this year, I think that is what God wants me to do. After all, He put staying home and homeschooling on my heart.
Yes, studying with others is very important, and your relationship with God should come first. But, just like there are times your kids come first and other times your husband, Bible study needed to come last for me this year.
Is it time for you to look at your commitments? It doesn't have to be Bible study you leave behind. But, maybe there is something. If you are finding yourself really run down, always getting sick, and just plain stressed out, perhaps you should look back on your last month or two. How many days were you home all day? Being a caretaker of our homes is no small commitment, and a very honorable one too. Being called to be home is one of the biggest and most important callings there is.
Think about it.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
This past summer, I had to ask myself if I should attend a Bible study this fall/winter/spring. For the last 3 years I have attended a really nice one (not from my home church) after a friend invited me. It took a couple of years before I finally found the time to say yes.
It was (still is) a non-denominational Christian Bible Study. The only thing you needed to believe is that Jesus is your Savior. They also had a nursery to age 2 & a preschool Bible story time, complete with crafts. There was no fee or donation asked for, and we had nice little booklets for each semester that focused on a particular topic. The books were great, the discussion groups were lively and educational. We even started off with songs each week. And there were a few potluck lunches each year. A really great community over all. I really enjoyed it the first two years, and made sure I could make the study each week, even making sure doctor appointments wouldn't interfere. It was also nice to see my friend each week.
However, this past summer, after much thought and prayer, I decided that I could not attend this year. There are a lot of reasons behind my decision. One of them is that Jy started the local technical collage and he would need a lot of help in navigating through it, as well as with homework. Another one was that I didn't feel quite as welcome last year. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but I had some suspicions that it related to me sharing some of my personal journey to Jesus, and they didn't really understand. I can't be sure, but either way, I didn't feel as welcomed last year, so that made me reluctant to want to attend. I didn't let that be my deciding factor though.
The final reason I decided not to attend this year was that I just needed more time at home. I need more time to commit to the two kids I'm still homeschooling, to cleaning and organizing (I've spent most of the 10 years living here sick or injured, making for quite a mess in stuff!), and time for my husband. A few years ago I sat down and looked back on a previous month, I had not spent ONE ENTIRE DAY just at home. For 30 days I had been out of the house for at least 2/3 hours a day! For a full time house wife, stay at home, homeschooling mom, that was a bit much! Yes, everyone suffered a bit. And back then, I was homeschooling all four kids! I was exhausted, and felt unwell all the time. No Wonder! I dubbed my self not a "homeschooling mom" but a "RALACWIHCO mom" (running around like a chicken with it's head cut off mom)! It was crazy and so were we. After that, I made sure we spent at least one WHOLE day at home each week. This past summer, I saw that, if I didn't do something different, it would be like that again, and quickly.
So, I made the decision that I needed to give up something to be a better wife & mother. And this was the one thing I could give up. I need to still take care of doctor appointments, and the kids need things like our co-op classes, but I can study the Bible at home. And this year, I think that is what God wants me to do. After all, He put staying home and homeschooling on my heart.
Yes, studying with others is very important, and your relationship with God should come first. But, just like there are times your kids come first and other times your husband, Bible study needed to come last for me this year.
Is it time for you to look at your commitments? It doesn't have to be Bible study you leave behind. But, maybe there is something. If you are finding yourself really run down, always getting sick, and just plain stressed out, perhaps you should look back on your last month or two. How many days were you home all day? Being a caretaker of our homes is no small commitment, and a very honorable one too. Being called to be home is one of the biggest and most important callings there is.
Think about it.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Whatever Wednesdays
Ok, so it looks like there's a theme going on here. When I started I really didn't plan this, but when "Tips & Tricks Tuesday" popped into my head, I thought of more. Not sure if EVERY week will be like this, but it might just work out. We'll see.
So, "Whatever Wednesday"... I think I shall tell you a story. A sad little story, well, not sad really. Actually, it's rather funny. So funny in fact, that when this happened, I actually had to pull the van over and park I was laughing so hard!!! No, really, that happened. In fact, it happens more than you would think -- to us. So, if you ever see some lady laughing her head off on the side of the road - that might just be me. :) (note: there will be others in the car with me, they're the ones who get it all going, so if some lady is alone at the side of the road laughing, you might want to drive away, slowly....)
First I must make sure you know what the "Why?" Game is, and how it works at our home. Otherwise, you loose a whole lot to the story. You know the game, someone says something, the other person says 'why?' and after you answer, they keep saying 'why?' Well, I am a champ at this game. I loved this game as a kids and played it whenever I could. I have never lost. When the kids were little and just really curious, it never got on my nerves, since they quit pretty early. When the kids got to the ages where they thought it was funny to try and annoy mom with it, I didn't get mad, I just played until they tired out. Usually turning the tables and asking them 'why?' at some point in the game, making them get really frustrated. So, over the years it has become a thing to try and beat mom! LOL
So, "Whatever Wednesday"... I think I shall tell you a story. A sad little story, well, not sad really. Actually, it's rather funny. So funny in fact, that when this happened, I actually had to pull the van over and park I was laughing so hard!!! No, really, that happened. In fact, it happens more than you would think -- to us. So, if you ever see some lady laughing her head off on the side of the road - that might just be me. :) (note: there will be others in the car with me, they're the ones who get it all going, so if some lady is alone at the side of the road laughing, you might want to drive away, slowly....)
First I must make sure you know what the "Why?" Game is, and how it works at our home. Otherwise, you loose a whole lot to the story. You know the game, someone says something, the other person says 'why?' and after you answer, they keep saying 'why?' Well, I am a champ at this game. I loved this game as a kids and played it whenever I could. I have never lost. When the kids were little and just really curious, it never got on my nerves, since they quit pretty early. When the kids got to the ages where they thought it was funny to try and annoy mom with it, I didn't get mad, I just played until they tired out. Usually turning the tables and asking them 'why?' at some point in the game, making them get really frustrated. So, over the years it has become a thing to try and beat mom! LOL
With out further ado:
The Glutinous Bird
One day while driving down the road, my son Jy (I think he was about 19) and I started playing the "why?" game.
Jy said something, I really don't remember what it was, but when I asked him "why?" his answer was a little bird told me. It exploded from there.
"Why?" I asked again.
Jy: "because it was his dying wish"
me: "Why was he dying?"
Jy: "he was having a heart attack"
me: "why?"
Jy: "because he was so fat, he couldn't even fly"
me: "why?"
Jy: "he was glutinous"
me: "why was he glutinous?"
Jy: "because his mother neglected him"
me: "why would his mother neglect him?"
Jy: "because she was too busy drinking and crying"
me: "why was she drinking and crying?"
Jy: "because she was an alcoholic"
me: "why?"
Jy: "because she was so sad that her husband, had left them"
me: "why did he leave them?"
Jy: "because he was so addicted to Mario Kart he ran away to play it"
(at this point we are on the side of the road, barely breathing and crying hard, because of how much we are laughing)
I just barely go out; "why was he addicted to Mario Kart?"
And that is where the story ends. We just couldn't stop laughing (a bird drinking & crying was bad enough,but playing Mario Kart!), and since I did manage to ask the last question, I won. I think we sat there for more than 10 minuets just laughing and gasping for breath! The poor, poor little glutinous bird comes up sometimes in conversations around here. Usually as a comparison of how, 'at least you aren't the poor little glutinous bird' with a little laugh (or a big one)!
So, now you have a little insight into the strange sense of humor around here. (We are all a little warped.) We love the Netflix show, "King Julian" & the 16+'ers love the "IT crowd." Oh, I can't forget older "Simpson's" either. I never said we weren't a strange bunch. :)
Blessings,
mamaAthena
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Tuesday Tips & Tricks
So, you want to hear the rest of my story? Sorry, you'll have to wait until next Monday's "My Story" Today is for tips.
I've got so many tips and tricks that I use and usually work for me. So, each week I'll tell you a different one, and you can decided if you want to try it or not.
This week I'll talk about laundry. Actually, for the last few years, I was very blessed by my mom doing the laundry because of some pretty serious health issues (I've got it back now) but, she commented on how easy it was to just pick it up. Sure, she made a tweak here or there to make it work for her, but it stayed pretty much the same.
So, what's my tip/trick for keeping laundry (for a family of 7+) easy to do?
Tip 1 -- Have a way to keep your loads separate. We have 2 carts that each have 3 net bags, making a place for 6 separate loads. Then I have 2 rolling hampers, one for towels, one for sheets/ blankets. Finally I have a basket for all those odds & ends.
Tip 2 -- sort your loads. The general loads are: whites (normal bleachable), lights, colors, reds/pinks, darks, jeans, towels, sheets & of course there is always a miscellaneous load, like hand wash, dry clean ect. Try to sort them as often as you can, that way it doesn't overwhelm you as quickly. (tip 2a -- this is a great thing for kids to help with, from toddlers where you direct them to the right basket, to kids learning colors & kids learning home ec)
Tip 3 -- decide on what days you will do what loads. Try to plan 2 or 3 loads 3 or 4 days each week. Large families will probably need to do laundry every day. I still recommend taking at least one day off from laundry. Laundry is a big job, no matter how many are in your family. It's also a job that never goes away and is just the same thing over, and over, and over again. So a day off helps to recharge before starting back up again.
Tip 4 -- when really in a pinch, you can combine some loads. Don't mix whites & reds of course, however if you aren't bleaching your whites this week, you can combine them with your lights, and sometimes I'll throw darks & jeans together, If you do that, you have to be sure to dry on LOW rather than medium.
Tip 5 -- have your kids help with whatever they can. I've already talked about sorting, but they can put clothes into a washer/ dryer as long as they can reach (front loaders are great for that!), measuring soap, turning on the machine, carrying baskets, folding, sorting... just try. Give a child a task, and if they can't do it yet, just try again later.
Tip 6 -- ask your children to make pictures to decorate your laundry room. Most of us have dreary basement rooms, those paintings sure make it a lot nicer. And I think, even if you have a dream laundry room with lots of space for baskets, tables for folding and a patio door that leads outside to a close by outdoor laundry line, those pictures will still cheer up your room too. (what can I say, I like to daydream!)
Tip 7 -- try to fold and put away the clean clothes right away. Ok, confession time: this one I'm not so great at. Often there are a few laundry baskets with clean clothes awaiting our attention. But, I do try.
That's it. Keeping laundry simple, but consistent really lightens the load (lol ;). And, when you know what load to do each day, you have less to think about. "Oh, it's Tuesday, time to do the colors." Hope this helps some people out. There is a lot more to laundry, like what do those symbols mean? What temp should I wash/ dry with? How do I get the kids to help? Those are all questions we can address another time. I need to have enough things to write about later.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
I've got so many tips and tricks that I use and usually work for me. So, each week I'll tell you a different one, and you can decided if you want to try it or not.
This week I'll talk about laundry. Actually, for the last few years, I was very blessed by my mom doing the laundry because of some pretty serious health issues (I've got it back now) but, she commented on how easy it was to just pick it up. Sure, she made a tweak here or there to make it work for her, but it stayed pretty much the same.
So, what's my tip/trick for keeping laundry (for a family of 7+) easy to do?
Tip 1 -- Have a way to keep your loads separate. We have 2 carts that each have 3 net bags, making a place for 6 separate loads. Then I have 2 rolling hampers, one for towels, one for sheets/ blankets. Finally I have a basket for all those odds & ends.
Tip 2 -- sort your loads. The general loads are: whites (normal bleachable), lights, colors, reds/pinks, darks, jeans, towels, sheets & of course there is always a miscellaneous load, like hand wash, dry clean ect. Try to sort them as often as you can, that way it doesn't overwhelm you as quickly. (tip 2a -- this is a great thing for kids to help with, from toddlers where you direct them to the right basket, to kids learning colors & kids learning home ec)
Tip 3 -- decide on what days you will do what loads. Try to plan 2 or 3 loads 3 or 4 days each week. Large families will probably need to do laundry every day. I still recommend taking at least one day off from laundry. Laundry is a big job, no matter how many are in your family. It's also a job that never goes away and is just the same thing over, and over, and over again. So a day off helps to recharge before starting back up again.
Tip 4 -- when really in a pinch, you can combine some loads. Don't mix whites & reds of course, however if you aren't bleaching your whites this week, you can combine them with your lights, and sometimes I'll throw darks & jeans together, If you do that, you have to be sure to dry on LOW rather than medium.
Tip 5 -- have your kids help with whatever they can. I've already talked about sorting, but they can put clothes into a washer/ dryer as long as they can reach (front loaders are great for that!), measuring soap, turning on the machine, carrying baskets, folding, sorting... just try. Give a child a task, and if they can't do it yet, just try again later.
Tip 6 -- ask your children to make pictures to decorate your laundry room. Most of us have dreary basement rooms, those paintings sure make it a lot nicer. And I think, even if you have a dream laundry room with lots of space for baskets, tables for folding and a patio door that leads outside to a close by outdoor laundry line, those pictures will still cheer up your room too. (what can I say, I like to daydream!)
Tip 7 -- try to fold and put away the clean clothes right away. Ok, confession time: this one I'm not so great at. Often there are a few laundry baskets with clean clothes awaiting our attention. But, I do try.
That's it. Keeping laundry simple, but consistent really lightens the load (lol ;). And, when you know what load to do each day, you have less to think about. "Oh, it's Tuesday, time to do the colors." Hope this helps some people out. There is a lot more to laundry, like what do those symbols mean? What temp should I wash/ dry with? How do I get the kids to help? Those are all questions we can address another time. I need to have enough things to write about later.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
Monday, October 17, 2016
My Story
So, what's my story? Which one? As with everyone, I have so many different ones, some will interest you, some not, some will be sad, but more will be funny. And some will just make you scratch your head and wonder what on Earth is going on (most of my stories do that to me).
The first story I'm going to share is how I became saved. Some people have a nice quite shift, others, like me, have a slap upside the head BAM! kinda salvation.
But first, some background on me. Both my mother and father's families were/are Catholic. So, I was baptized when just a few months old, even though my parents didn't attend a church. My grandma, however, did. Every Sunday. So, dress up baby in really pretty gown, sprinkle water on head, and head home for party. My Catholic life started. I don't honestly think my mom & dad ever went to church, but every weekend I spent with my grandma, I went with her. Got my workout in each week; sit, stand,kneel, sit, walk to front, stand, kneel, if you've ever been to a Catholic service, you know what I mean. (I mean no offence to any Catholic's out there. but, it is how it works) I went to a Catholic school for 2nd grade so I could receive my 1st Communion (back then if you went to a Catholic school, you were taught to be Catholic - no choice, if you didn't want your kids to be Catholic, you didn't send them to a Catholic school.).
Fast forward to about age 13. My mother discovers the occult. Reading taro cards, numerology, horoscopes, being one with nature ect. At least we never used a oujii board. She believed that God gave you the ability to read the cards if you meditated and asked for it. And, of course she taught it all to me. And, I could do it. I could read the cards, runes, anything and got it right more often than not. As long as I can remember, I have always had dreams that would come true. I thought that was all just a part of my psychic abilities. (I have learned better since, that prophecy is a gift of the Spirit, and it's all a from God, not my ability, but His gift)
Not too much later, I began to see the benefits of looking at the darker side of things. That those who follow a dark path have more powers, have more of an ability to see the future, control their environment. I was not aware of what was going on, until one night, when I was 14, I was lying in bed, trying to make my mind empty so I could have a "vision", when suddenly I saw what I can only describe as a living black shadow coming towards me! I could see around the black thing, but not through it! I couldn't breath, I was in a cold sweat, I started to see stars, I knew it was going to enter me and do what? Still don't want to think about what could have happened to me that night. What stopped it? I cried out as loud as I could, which probably wasn't very loud at all, "God, please save me! Send it away!" and it left.
I would like to tell you that I turned away from it all right then, but I can't. I did stop trying to empty my mind at night, but instead would say Hail Mary or The Lord's Pray each night. Without my knowledge, He was already protecting me, despite my continued failing.
At age 16, the boy i was dating was Catholic (well, he and his family went to church each Sunday, but every Saturday beer & pot was the norm, his mom gave it to him -- I am proud to say I never actually smoked a joint, and since I didn't really like beer, I didn't get drunk either), so, we went to church each week. At 19, 6 months pregnant and the mother of a 20 month old, I became a single mother one day. I began to go to church again, for about a year. Long enough to baptize Ky & Jy.(fancy clothes, sprinkle water, off to party) After about a year of marriage to my husband, I again went back to church. Clearly I was looking for God, but was having a hard time finding him. I left church that last time right after all the scandles about priests molesting boys came about. At the exact time, I was also getting, what can only be called collection notices, from the church. "you pledges $$$ and haven't paid us. Please pay $$ by xx/xx/xx" Really, I'm not kidding, and they were coming weekly! (it honestly was a choice between food or church donation!) The issue I had with the church and the priests wasn't that the crime was committed. Priests are people and they are good and bad, just like everyone else in this world. Yes, they SHOULD all be good, but you can't really know what is in someone else's heart. My problem was the cover up. They didn't punish the priests, they just moved them somewhere else, where the problem continued. Since I was sexually abused as a child (no, not by a priest), I know what those people have to live with, and it could have been 100s less kids if they dealt with it properly.
So, bye, bye church. This time for good. That was about 2002. It would take six years before I really became saved.
However, I am out of time. So, I shall end this story here, on a cliff-hanger of sorts. Don't worry, I'll finish it. Until next time,
Blessings,
mamaAthena
The first story I'm going to share is how I became saved. Some people have a nice quite shift, others, like me, have a slap upside the head BAM! kinda salvation.
But first, some background on me. Both my mother and father's families were/are Catholic. So, I was baptized when just a few months old, even though my parents didn't attend a church. My grandma, however, did. Every Sunday. So, dress up baby in really pretty gown, sprinkle water on head, and head home for party. My Catholic life started. I don't honestly think my mom & dad ever went to church, but every weekend I spent with my grandma, I went with her. Got my workout in each week; sit, stand,kneel, sit, walk to front, stand, kneel, if you've ever been to a Catholic service, you know what I mean. (I mean no offence to any Catholic's out there. but, it is how it works) I went to a Catholic school for 2nd grade so I could receive my 1st Communion (back then if you went to a Catholic school, you were taught to be Catholic - no choice, if you didn't want your kids to be Catholic, you didn't send them to a Catholic school.).
Fast forward to about age 13. My mother discovers the occult. Reading taro cards, numerology, horoscopes, being one with nature ect. At least we never used a oujii board. She believed that God gave you the ability to read the cards if you meditated and asked for it. And, of course she taught it all to me. And, I could do it. I could read the cards, runes, anything and got it right more often than not. As long as I can remember, I have always had dreams that would come true. I thought that was all just a part of my psychic abilities. (I have learned better since, that prophecy is a gift of the Spirit, and it's all a from God, not my ability, but His gift)
Not too much later, I began to see the benefits of looking at the darker side of things. That those who follow a dark path have more powers, have more of an ability to see the future, control their environment. I was not aware of what was going on, until one night, when I was 14, I was lying in bed, trying to make my mind empty so I could have a "vision", when suddenly I saw what I can only describe as a living black shadow coming towards me! I could see around the black thing, but not through it! I couldn't breath, I was in a cold sweat, I started to see stars, I knew it was going to enter me and do what? Still don't want to think about what could have happened to me that night. What stopped it? I cried out as loud as I could, which probably wasn't very loud at all, "God, please save me! Send it away!" and it left.
I would like to tell you that I turned away from it all right then, but I can't. I did stop trying to empty my mind at night, but instead would say Hail Mary or The Lord's Pray each night. Without my knowledge, He was already protecting me, despite my continued failing.
At age 16, the boy i was dating was Catholic (well, he and his family went to church each Sunday, but every Saturday beer & pot was the norm, his mom gave it to him -- I am proud to say I never actually smoked a joint, and since I didn't really like beer, I didn't get drunk either), so, we went to church each week. At 19, 6 months pregnant and the mother of a 20 month old, I became a single mother one day. I began to go to church again, for about a year. Long enough to baptize Ky & Jy.(fancy clothes, sprinkle water, off to party) After about a year of marriage to my husband, I again went back to church. Clearly I was looking for God, but was having a hard time finding him. I left church that last time right after all the scandles about priests molesting boys came about. At the exact time, I was also getting, what can only be called collection notices, from the church. "you pledges $$$ and haven't paid us. Please pay $$ by xx/xx/xx" Really, I'm not kidding, and they were coming weekly! (it honestly was a choice between food or church donation!) The issue I had with the church and the priests wasn't that the crime was committed. Priests are people and they are good and bad, just like everyone else in this world. Yes, they SHOULD all be good, but you can't really know what is in someone else's heart. My problem was the cover up. They didn't punish the priests, they just moved them somewhere else, where the problem continued. Since I was sexually abused as a child (no, not by a priest), I know what those people have to live with, and it could have been 100s less kids if they dealt with it properly.
So, bye, bye church. This time for good. That was about 2002. It would take six years before I really became saved.
However, I am out of time. So, I shall end this story here, on a cliff-hanger of sorts. Don't worry, I'll finish it. Until next time,
Blessings,
mamaAthena
Friday, October 14, 2016
Grateful Five Friday
I'm going to start listing five things I am grateful for each Friday, well, I'll try to anyway. I have to admit I didn't think of this myself. I know other blogs do something like this as well. Not my original idea, but a great one nonetheless.
But, before I begin, I must ask about the title. "Grateful Five Friday"??? would "Five Grateful Friday" or "Friday's Five Grateful Things" be better? I'll have to think on it.
So, five things I am grateful for:
1. My Children.
Of course I start with a no brainer. I love each of my kids, and am so grateful for them and all their wonderful-ness. No, it's not all wonderful, life's not easy. But, I love them anyway. As I watch them grow from a tiny little baby to full grown adults, it just makes me so happy that I got to see that and have a hand in who they become. So, though obvious it is, I am grateful for my children.
2. Indoor Plumbing.
Yep, super happy I've got indoor plumbing. Here in "first world" countries, we don't think too much about it, it's just there. But, billions of people don't have it. And, it's not just in "third world" countries. There are thousands of people here in the U.S. that don't have it. From people who choose to not have it to many, many more, who can't afford it, or they can't get a plumber to fix it or they just don't have a house with water attached to it. So, flushing toilets, hot & cold running water, I say, don't take it for granted!
3. Band-Aids.
Well, they don't have to be band-aid brand, in fact I don't think I have any, since very few of what they make is latex free, and since my youngest, Kt is allergic to it, we don't have it here. But, I digress (I tend to do that alot), having those little sticky bandages sure makes a mother's life easier. Grab the right size, peal back the sterile paper, pull tabs, and fix to boo-boo. Done. Ok, there are plenty of times that NONE of the sizes are big enough, but then there are pads & tape, just a little more work. Still super easy.
4. "Dora the Explorer."
Yep. Love the show. The older episodes, from like 12 years ago that they have on Amazon. Keeps 3 year olds entertained for quite some time, so "mimi" can do things like, laundry, dishes, school w/ older kids, blog ;). I'm pretty stingy with t.v. in the school year, during the week. So, it's a great favorite when it's on. What is it about that little girl and her monkey friend that entertains them so much? Sure, it's a great show, but to sit quietly for an hour, even more, just to watch it. Well, whatever the pull that show has, I'm grateful for it.
5. My Salvation.
No, it's not last in my order, but it has to be mentioned at least once. We can call it the ghost #6 every week. I always try to be aware of the Gift He gave us. It awes me. Do I always remember to be grateful. No. I don't. I am human and far from perfect, and that's pretty much the point. I don't deserve it. No one does. But there it is anyway. Just waiting to be asked for. Step 1: accept Jesus as your savior. Done. That's it. Sure, we need to believe He is God's Son, admit our sins, try to follow the Bible's advice and rules. But, the bottom line is, if you ask, it is given. Nothing else has a guarantee. You can pray for anything, and His answer isn't always what we want it to be, but He will ALWAYS give Salvation when asked for. All the things I have done wrong, and He knows ALL of them, and He still loves me enough to die for me. Thousands of years before I was even born, He died for me. Took all my sins and suffered, so I could make all kinds of mistakes and still go to Heaven. Just by asking Him into my heart. So, even though I put it last, it's not last. It's first. And even though I won't post it here each week, it's always here.
Well, there's my first five. If you have a list, put a link in the comments, and share. We all need things to be grateful for, and often we need reminders of all those things we do have and are blessed with.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
But, before I begin, I must ask about the title. "Grateful Five Friday"??? would "Five Grateful Friday" or "Friday's Five Grateful Things" be better? I'll have to think on it.
So, five things I am grateful for:
1. My Children.
Of course I start with a no brainer. I love each of my kids, and am so grateful for them and all their wonderful-ness. No, it's not all wonderful, life's not easy. But, I love them anyway. As I watch them grow from a tiny little baby to full grown adults, it just makes me so happy that I got to see that and have a hand in who they become. So, though obvious it is, I am grateful for my children.
2. Indoor Plumbing.
Yep, super happy I've got indoor plumbing. Here in "first world" countries, we don't think too much about it, it's just there. But, billions of people don't have it. And, it's not just in "third world" countries. There are thousands of people here in the U.S. that don't have it. From people who choose to not have it to many, many more, who can't afford it, or they can't get a plumber to fix it or they just don't have a house with water attached to it. So, flushing toilets, hot & cold running water, I say, don't take it for granted!
3. Band-Aids.
Well, they don't have to be band-aid brand, in fact I don't think I have any, since very few of what they make is latex free, and since my youngest, Kt is allergic to it, we don't have it here. But, I digress (I tend to do that alot), having those little sticky bandages sure makes a mother's life easier. Grab the right size, peal back the sterile paper, pull tabs, and fix to boo-boo. Done. Ok, there are plenty of times that NONE of the sizes are big enough, but then there are pads & tape, just a little more work. Still super easy.
4. "Dora the Explorer."
Yep. Love the show. The older episodes, from like 12 years ago that they have on Amazon. Keeps 3 year olds entertained for quite some time, so "mimi" can do things like, laundry, dishes, school w/ older kids, blog ;). I'm pretty stingy with t.v. in the school year, during the week. So, it's a great favorite when it's on. What is it about that little girl and her monkey friend that entertains them so much? Sure, it's a great show, but to sit quietly for an hour, even more, just to watch it. Well, whatever the pull that show has, I'm grateful for it.
5. My Salvation.
No, it's not last in my order, but it has to be mentioned at least once. We can call it the ghost #6 every week. I always try to be aware of the Gift He gave us. It awes me. Do I always remember to be grateful. No. I don't. I am human and far from perfect, and that's pretty much the point. I don't deserve it. No one does. But there it is anyway. Just waiting to be asked for. Step 1: accept Jesus as your savior. Done. That's it. Sure, we need to believe He is God's Son, admit our sins, try to follow the Bible's advice and rules. But, the bottom line is, if you ask, it is given. Nothing else has a guarantee. You can pray for anything, and His answer isn't always what we want it to be, but He will ALWAYS give Salvation when asked for. All the things I have done wrong, and He knows ALL of them, and He still loves me enough to die for me. Thousands of years before I was even born, He died for me. Took all my sins and suffered, so I could make all kinds of mistakes and still go to Heaven. Just by asking Him into my heart. So, even though I put it last, it's not last. It's first. And even though I won't post it here each week, it's always here.
Well, there's my first five. If you have a list, put a link in the comments, and share. We all need things to be grateful for, and often we need reminders of all those things we do have and are blessed with.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Hello, Nice to Meet You
Greetings and Salutations!
So, here I am. Starting a blog. Well, I have to admit, I have tried to start one in the past, but life got in the way, and I've no idea where they went. So, I shall start one again.
Today, I shall just tell you about me, and you can feel free to tell me about you (if you should happen upon my blog).
First off, like my title says, I am Christian, full time wife & mother, and I homeschool. I have been homeschooling for more than 15 years! I'v already graduated 2, and have 2 more to go. I really enjoy homeschooling, and love having my kids at home. They love it too. I'm pretty sure some of my posts will be about our homeschooling adventures.
Second, I'll tell you about my family, who are VERY important to me. My husband and I have been married for 19 years. We have four children. In age order they are; Ky-girl-23, Jy-boy-21, Jk-boy-15, and Kt-girl-12. You probably noticed that 2 of our kids are older than our marriage. In our case, The older two are not biologically my husband's children. He and I married when they were 4 & 2. He adopted them in 2000, when they were 6 & 4. He could not love them more if they were biologically his. After that, we had the next two children. I also have to add my somewhat adopted girl-Mk(21)who has a now 3 year old daughter (Lr), my "granddaughter." She is a single young mother who we have known since she was 14. When she became pregnant, I offered to help her our with whatever. I have been her babysitter, and they have lived with us twice over the years (in fact she is living w/ us now & will be moving this weekend) And finally, my mother-granny, lives with us too.
Third I shall tell you a little about my own Christian journey. I call myself a Bible-thumping Christian. I believe, with no doubts, that the Bible is the unfailing Word of God. I do not think one religion is perfect, although I do tend to fall more towards the Pentecostal faith. I was not raised in the Church. I was loosely raised Catholic, but as a teenager, my mother got into the occult, so that became the focus of my beliefs. (more on that later) I was saved in October of 2008. I do not remember the exact date, but I do remember the day (it was the 3rd Monday of the month, I could look it up, but have not), but I will never forget the experience.
And lastly I will add to all of this, that the word "eclectic" describes me perfectly. I really don't fit into one group or another all the way. Our homeschooling pulls a little out of each kind our there, from "unschooling" to "school at home." My music tastes are pretty varied, I love Skillet, Crowder, Great White, Motley Crew, Faith Hill, Disney songs, the list goes on and on (I am NOT a fan of rap though). I think the only person I have ever met who has a more eclectic taste in music is my daughter Ky. I am a Christian (some may not agree with me, because of the next few words), but I do read books like Harry Potter, and I am also into anime and manga. I only wear dresses as well, but feel it's fine to wear make-up and cut your hair. All these things I have prayed on and I believe that this is who I am suppose to be. I have lost "friends" because of this, once they find out I don't fit that perfect Christian mold. All I can do for them is pray they become more accepting of those with different ways. Because, let's face it, God made everyone different and that is good. They more posts I make, the more my eclecticism will show. (I am also told I have a quirky sense of humor)
So, I hope I have snagged your interest and you will come back and read my posts often. You are welcome to post your thoughts and opinions, but I will delete any that are rude or hurtful. I have no problem with people who have different opinions than me, or a healthy debate about those opinions. The key word there is healthy. Hurtful, rude, over aggressive, is not healthy. Remember: you catch more flies with honey, not vinegar.
Blessings,
mamaAthena
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