Time-out!

It's siesta time!
My family and I will be enjoying some much needed time together.
I'll recap later.
"See" ya next Monday.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Keys for Kids

Sure wish I could think of the weekly children's devotional I used to receive as an email. It included a key verse, lesson, and well coordinated (but easy to implement) activity to make the point stick. Hmmmm....

Thankfully, there is another one that I also like. It's one you might be familiar with in mail form, and it's called Keys for Kids. That's how we were introduced to it, via mail (and you can still receive it that way if you prefer). But what I like is that kids can now listen to a podcast devotional online. I'm always looking for time fillers when I'm working one-on-one with one of my students. What better time filler could there be than the word of God?

Check it out HERE.
And if you have any ideas about the weekly email devotional I can't think of, do tell.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Homemade goodness (and just plain good for you)

Our diet is mainly whole foods vegetarian. We made the change several years ago due to digestive health issues for me. It's been quite the challenge to learn to prepare foods that are appetizing and affordable (whole foods can be pricey!) But I've managed to find my way via trial and error, including some snack pleasers, like my fruit chewies for example.

So, fruit chewies. They're really good (if you're not really picky), healthy, EASY to make (five ingredients easy), and tasty. The texture is, um,...moist(ish) chewy granola?
You can refrigerate or freeze them (I make the double batch recipe that follows, freezing half of them). BON APPETIT!
(from top left, clockwise): oats, raisins, mashed bananas, dates, egg whites.

Fruit Chewies

4 medium ripe bananas
4 egg whites
8 oz bag chopped dates
3 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup raisins


In large bowl, mash bananas, leaving some small chunks (should be about 2 cups)
Mix in egg whites then dates. Mix until dates are thoroughly coated and separate. Stir in raisins. Stir in oats. When all oats are
moistened, set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray cookie sheets with Pam. Using two teaspoons, place spoonfuls of mix onto pan, flatten with
back of spoon (note: this step will not "feel" like dropping cookie dough; it will take a little more effort to shape these like a cookie, as the ingredients won't want to "stick" all that well until baked.)


Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until edges are golden. Let cool on pan a
couple minutes before removing with a spatula. Cool then store in
airtight container in refrigerator, or freeze.
I yield about 4½ dozen with this recipe.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Enjoying our Father's world

Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.
Job 37:14

Goodness, did you midwestern folks experience the late September heat wave yesterday? Smoking hot here in Indy. 94º degrees, to be precise. The entire summer has been "super scorching hot" for that matter, and I've got the stubble-brush straw grass to prove it (we don't dare walk around on the lawn without shoes, since the experience can best be likened to walking on kindling. Ouch!)

I had a bit of a nagging headache on board for the day, but I wasn't about to let it stop me from enjoying what was, in all liklihood, the final "super scorching hot" day of the year. So after we picked my 3 year old up from his preschool, we headed to McCormick's Creek state park for an afternoon of hiking.

It was wonderful to spend our day together in our Father's world. The forest trees have lost enough of their leaves (even though they've just begun) to give us that wonderful crunch-crunch cadence as we walked along the winding paths. And the paths at McCormick's are so nice. All lined with stone and quite wide in most places. Just right for a tag-along 3 year old who did his best to keep up on the 2 mile hike.

We stopped when we got to Wolf cave (see next photo), enjoyed a drink of water, then got out our clipboards, paper and pencils and sat down to sketch together. There were benches along the side of the path, so we were quite comfortable as we rested in the shade, taking in the wonderful sounds and fall scent of the woods as we all studied our chosen subjects and penciled them in. I chose to draw a forest fern surrounded by dead leaves. Several others chose to sketch the cave and its wooded surroundings.


Gotta LOVE my 3 year old.
He asked me to sketch a spider web for him, then he enthusiastically took his clipboard and sat down, feverishly working his supplies as he swung his little leg back and forth in rhythm to an unheard melody that he was clearly enjoying in his head. When he finally stood up to talk about his drawing (our kids love to do that), he was so very proud of the chubby spider he had carefully sketched in place over the web. Of course, he added a bat and a rain cloud too, but hey, still not bad for our youngest nature participant, eh? ;)

After finishing our 2 mile hike to the Wolf cave and back, we decided to add an excursion, descending the steep steps down the cliff to the base of the waterfall in another area of the park. Normally, the river is much higher there, but due to the long dry summer, the kids were able to explore over the rocks and creek bed to their heart's content. Our boys even felt bad for the fish who were trapped in pools of water that were once a flowing creek, so they decided to pray for them right there.
3 year old: "Dear Lord, Fank you for da fishes. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
8 year old: "Dear Lord, please help it rain so the fish can get away. Amen."
Short and to the point, they were, lol.


My husband works in the airline industry, where schedules change constantly, as do days off. Currently, he has mid-week days off. While we miss him terribly on Sundays at church, we LOVE that we can get out and enjoy our favorite places without crowds. The state park was nearly empty today. All that beauty and warmth was ours for the taking. And take, we did. Praising God for the unique blessings that homeschooling and my husband's ever changing schedule have brought into to our lives. Today was that kind of blessed day for sure.

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

SLUG BUG!

Do you play Slug bug?
Or maybe it's called Punch Buggy in your family.
In our neck of the woods, it's definitely Slug Bug.

It all started about three months ago, when we were driving down the road and I spotted a Volkswagon Beetle. I gave my husband the requisite punch on the arm and yelled, "Slug bug!"
Somewhere from the back rows of the van was heard , "Mom, why did you just punch Dad? And why did you yell that?"

So it was out there. My kids had no clue about the Slug Bug game and it was high time they learned. We covered the basics with them and from there, it was every man for himself.

"Ah, such a fun and simple game," you're thinking, right?
W. R. O. N. G.
It has become something...more.
A game of outwit, outplay, outSHOUT!

For instance, the other day, I found myself writing down the official rules.
Writing them down, folks.
That's serious, I tell you.

Standard Slug bug siting? 1 point.
Convertible Slug bug? 2 points.
Purple Slug bug? 3 points.
Convertible purple Slug bug? 5 points.
Clown car? 3 points.
Purple clown car? 5 points.

********(Clown car)********

And few other rules too:

• If a parked Slug Bug is called for points, no player may recall said Slug bug again in its parked location on the same day.


• If you call a Slug bug or clown car in error, you are docked the number of points you would have gained for the call.

We actually consult these rules.
"And the judges say..."
Sheesh!

We sometimes drive through a little town nearby called Danville. We've deemed this town, "Slug bug capital of the world" because we have spotted no less than 2 Slug bugs (and as many as 5) every time we pass through this town. What cracks me up is that we ALL know there's a yellow Slug bug parked outside a certain business there. As we come up the hillside approaching that business, 6 heads and 12 eyeballs strain to be the first to spot the yellow bug. Husband has an unfair advantage, as his driving position gives him a slightly earlier glimpse than the rest of us. And try though I do to use my head as an impeding device (leaning fully into the windshield to try to block his vision), he always manages to spot the Slug bug just a split second before the rest of us.

It's evolving too.
It now involves strategy.
We bring our game faces with us.
Like today. We were driving down the road when Cierah, our 7 year old, stated with excitement, "Okaaaay, let's spot us some Slug bugs."
Simultaneously, her dad and I enlightened her.

"Honey, you lost advantage."
"Huh???"
"You lost advantage."
"Oh," smiling, pausing, and then,"What does that mean?"
"It means you shouldn't tell anyone when you're looking for Slug bugs, because it reminds them to look too, which makes it harder for you to score."
"OooOoh! I get it now."

At the end of the evening, Hubby stopped at the grocery store and ran in to pick up a few items. As we made our way home, I caught a glimpse of him, eyes attempting to scan side to side without detection. My voice filled with fierce competitiveness (which I naturally tried to downplay as gentleness), as I uttered, "Uh, excuse me. For the record? You don't own the game because I'm looking too."
Dh laughed so hard at not only being busted, but also at the knowledge that we've all become die-hards in the game of Slug bug.

Still don't get that we're serious?
Then consider this.
My three year old was putting on his vinyl night pants over his underwear tonight, when his eyes widened with what appeared to be pure joy as he victoriously exclaimed, "SLUG BUG!"

Uh huh.

He was claming it.

1 point for the Slug bug on his vinyl pants. :D

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

A simple aspect

We are about to enter a glorious time of year here in the midwest, Fall!
Everywhere I look, my eyes will come to rest on the handiwork of our master and creator, God.

For me, autumn is a time of awakening.
My senses are heightened.
The crisp, dew-kissed mornings are followed by the warmth of Indian summer afternoons.
The evenings smell of fallen leaves and fireplaces.
The softness of sweaters compliment the comfort of warm soups.
Apples and pumpkins, cinnamon and nutmeg. All doing their part to appeal to our senses.
And then, of course, there is the show of brilliant color; Amber, ruby and golden.

Even though I truly delight in this particular season, I also find myself awakened to a sense of urgency. I know that as breathtaking and comforting the season is, the long, cold, dark days of winter will follow. Try though I do to take comfort in knowing that winter was also designed by God, I just have to be honest and tell you something...I don't like winter.

I don't.

I'm cold intolerant (literally), don't enjoy winter sports or activities of any kind (well okay, I do like me some indoor hockey), and do not (NOT!) like darkness falling at 5:30 every evening. Clearly, God has a sense of humor, as I was born on the longest night of the year. ;)

This autumn, though, I want it to be different. Really. I have a vision and I hope to fullfill it. I want to turn that negative sense of urgency into purpose. In fact, I want it to draw me closer to the heart of my precious Savior, Jesus. The stage is already being set, as I'm encouraged by my dear sisters in Christ who are part of my Good Morning Girls group. How soothing to open several emails each day that point me in the direction of my goal. Wise women who love Jesus, sharing where they've been in the Word of God that day. Just brief glimpses into their quiet times, but a much greater glimpse into their heart's desire, to draw closer to Him.

I came across a method of studying scripture recently, that has given me fresh eyes for the passages I'm reading. I attended "Just Give Me Jesus" with Anne Graham Lotz several years back, and she introduced a similar method, which I have loved. If you would like to try a new way of approaching your quiet time, or just aren't sure how to approach it beyond prayer and reading, consider this simple "aspect" of being in the word...

A – About God – What can you learn about God through this passage?
S – Sin – Does it talk about any sin?
P – Promise – Is there any promise in the word?
E – Example – Is there any example, I can follow?
C –Command – Which command I need to obey?
T – Teaching – What can I learn from this passage?

I hope your transition into autumn is filled with an awakening of your senses too, that you will experience our Creator in the beauty of His creation. And if, like me, you find yourself experiencing an urgency about the brief (albeit beautiful) passage from summer to winter, may you also sense His desire to draw you ever closer to Him.

Come to think of it, long, cold winter days are pretty ideal for being still before the Lord and for cozying up by the fire with a good book.
THE "good book."

(For more on the aspect study method, go HERE.)

Live wise in Him!~Toni~

In the spotlight: RUN!

This past week, a group of us homeschooling moms began daily emails of encouragement and accountability regarding the need to be in the word every day. Our group has twelve women in it. While we have never met, we're all homeschooling moms who desire to be nourished by the scriptures, and we recognize that accountability and encouragement are tools to that end. So we formed a group to participate in the fall run of GOOD MORNING GIRLS. It has been SUCH a blessing to open up email after email, to see what each woman has gleaned from her daily quiet time with the Lord.

With encouragement in mind, allow me to segway into the fact that our bible study group once used a series by Ray Vander Laan.
Wow! Just,...wow!
His teaching is powerful and I'm grateful that God has gifted him so.
He really knows how to present the Word in a way that is both convicting and highly challenging.
I'd like to share one of my all-time favorite clips featuring Ray.
It seemed fitting as I shared what my GOOD MORNING GIRLS group and I are doing.
I hope it leaves you with a sense of urgency, a new (or renewed) hunger, for the Lord. Be blessed and have a lovely weekend.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~